
Growing support for political correctness in Canada, poll finds
Vancouver-based Research Co. surveyed 1,001 Canadians and 1,001 Americans and found a majority favour political correctness, when defined as language and behaviour that seeks to avoid offending various groups.
According to the results, 59 per cent of Canadians and 53 per cent of Americans support political correctness in their countries.
'The trendline for political correctness is clear in Canada, jumping from 50 per cent in 2020, to 55 per cent in 2022, and to 59 per cent in 2025,' said Mario Canseco, president of Research Co.
'In the United States, we are back at the proportion first observed in 2020 (53 per cent), after a severe decline in 2022 (45 per cent).'
There's more hostility toward political correctness in older Americans, according to the findings, with 48 per cent of those 55 and older rejecting the concept. Only 30 per cent of their Canadian counterparts felt the same.
The poll was also broken down by political affiliations and voting habits.
Research Co. said 45 per cent of Canadians who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2025 federal election reject political correctness, along with 44 per cent of Independents and 43 per cent of Republicans in the U.S.
More than half of Canadians and Americans believe, according to the poll, that printing new books that remove words deemed offensive or re-dubbing movies is wrong.
The data also revealed that three-in-five residents in each of the two countries believe teachers, politicians and journalists should act in a politically correct manner, either 'always' or 'most of the time.'
Political correctness and comedy
Research Co. said about one-third of Americans and Canadians also think comedians should 'always' or 'most of the time' behave in a politically correct way.
Suzy Rawesome owns and operates Comedy After Dark on Pender Street in downtown Vancouver, and has witnessed stand-up comedy's growth in popularity in recent years. She said over the last decade, comedians have faced fears of being 'cancelled' for making what some may call politically incorrect jokes, but recently there has been a noticeable shift.
'The pendulum, it swings one way and then it swings back the other way,' said Rawesome. 'It felt like it really went one way for a while, and it was very politically correct.'
Comedians now are taking far bigger risks on stage, she added, and there is a sense of freedom. She explained that the audience is also more educated on nuance and sarcasm.
CTV News spoke to Rawsome as she was setting up for a night of comedy, where about a dozen comedians were scheduled to perform later that evening. When asked about whether comedians can cross the line with their material, she said there is no room for hate at her club, but pushing boundaries is encouraged.
'It can't be hateful,' said Rawesome.
'I think that bringing up things that are like a common thread amongst Vancouverites or wherever, it brings us together rather than separates us because it's a lot of the times people say things that only other people think and wouldn't dare to say out loud.'
The Research Co. survey was conducted online from June 30 to July 2 among Canadian and U.S. adults, with the data statistically weighed according to census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, the company said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBC
22 minutes ago
- CBC
Punjabi-language theatre group offers pathway to confidence for Parc-Ex immigrants
When Gurdeep Khinda moved from India to Montreal 30 years ago, he thought his dream of becoming an actor on stage was over. He was too busy navigating his new life and there weren't any theatre groups in the city catering to the Indian community at the time. Decades later, he's booked the entire week off work to prepare for his upcoming performance on Saturday — when he'll embody Indian anti-colonial revolutionary, Udham Singh. "This is my priority," said Khinda. "When I was a child I said, 'OK, one day I'm going to be on the stage.' Then some people say it's impossible. I say, 'OK … but I will make it possible.'" He is part of a Punjabi-language theatre group, the Centre for Performing Arts, born out of the Parc-Extension neighbourhood and formed by husband and wife duo Gaurav and Nitu Sharma who both have professional careers in the theatre and movie industries. Khinda attended one of their plays three years ago and immediately decided to sign up. This will be his second performance with the group. "This is what I was looking for," he said. Saturday's cast is composed of 20 immigrants from India, most of whom are first-time performers. They're interpreting the play Ram Mohammad Singh Azad: The spirit of freedom at La Sala Rossa in the Mile End neighbourhood Saturday at 5 p.m. It will be subtitled in French and English. Gaurav Sharma had the idea of introducing recent immigrants to the theatre space while he was giving workshops on workers' and tenants' rights as a community organizer with the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC). He said he hopes that by embodying freedom fighters and learning about India's history of activism, the cast members will feel more confident to demand for their own rights be respected in every aspect of life. Play details important story in Indian history, say actors The play tells the story of Udham Singh, who on March 13, 1940, assassinated Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant-governor of Punjab, at the time a province of British India, to avenge the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre 20 years earlier. That day, British troops opened fire on a crowd of unarmed Indian civilians who had gathered at a large enclosed garden. British estimates set the death toll at 379 while others say upward of 1,000 people were massacred. During his trial, Singh took the name Ram Mohammad Singh Azad to represent a unified India which, at the time, was struggling for independence. He was executed by hanging in 1940. It's an important story Sharma, Khinda and other adults learned growing up in India. Khinda plays Singh when he was in London, where the assassination took place. Sharma plays the younger version of the character in India. Sharma said it's important for people to know about their history. "We have the technology but we forget the history," he said. Theatre as a tool for reconnection Ashpreet Kaur plays the role of a freedom fighter in the play. It's a story she's well familiar with, having learned it from her grandparents. Her husband plays the hangman. "It's a very emotional story," she said, adding that she wants to give it 100 per cent. For the last three months she's been practising her lines and choreography during her lunch breaks and attending rehearsals at the Aréna Howie-Morenz after her work shift. It's her first time acting but she says she's not nervous and is eagerly awaiting Saturday. "When we are children we have some hobbies, but when we are grown up we just forget about them because of stress or other activities," she said, with the help of a fellow cast member who translated for her. Mostafa Henaway, another community organizer with the IWC, said the play offers its members an opportunity to express themselves, adding that too often immigrants tend to lose themselves in the turbulence of moving and surviving in a new country. "To me it's always the hardest part when dealing with a lot of people that we work with," he said. "It's not the status or the wages or what takes place in the work, but people making sacrifices their whole lives and then further sacrificing themselves." Nitu Sharma says she's already preparing for their next production in October. That will be the sixth play her group stages since she and Gaurav arrived in Montreal in 2019. Khinda will be on the stage again.


CBC
6 hours ago
- CBC
Canada-U.S. trade deal hopes appear to fade after latest talks
Although U.S. President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 deadline is fast approaching, there is no sign of a breakthrough yet on a new Canada-U.S. trade deal after a week of talks in Washington, D.C. Ottawa continues to say it won't sign anything that isn't in Canada's best interest.


CBC
8 hours ago
- CBC
Is Danielle Smith sending new signals about likelihood of a new oil pipeline?
It's been a month since Alberta's premier said she was expecting a private sector proposal for a new oil pipeline within 'weeks.' It hasn't happened. Now, Danielle Smith is talking about if a proponent will come forward, not when. She's also saying there are other priorities ahead of a pipeline to B.C., when it comes to Alberta working with its neighbour. So what to make of it all? CBC Calgary's Rob Brown asks Conservative strategist Erika Barootes and Liberal strategist Jessie Chahal. (Photo: The Canadian Press)