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National Post
21 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
As separatist talk simmers in Alberta and Quebec, Canadians say breaking up will be hard to do: poll
Against a backdrop of fresh talk of Alberta separation and the constant spectre of Quebec's sovereignty movement, a new national opinion poll found that most Canadians say breaking up will be hard to do. Article content A large majority of respondents nationally said any secession by one province would require negotiation with all provinces and must be supported by a clear majority of voters in the province, and most said separation cannot be a unilateral decision, and it should require approval by the federal House of Commons. Article content Article content Article content A national opinion survey, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies and provided to Postmedia, was designed to probe Canadians attitudes about the process for separation, rather than their views on separation itself, and what should follow a successful provincial leave referendum. Article content Article content 'The bottom line is that Canadians across the country envision the process as much more complex than a simple majority vote on a referendum question,' said Jack Jedwab, president of the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies. Article content Public discussion about Alberta separating from Canada drew more mainstream attention in May, after the federal election returned the Liberal Party to government and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tabled provincial legislation to make it easier for Albertans to trigger a referendum on the province leaving the rest of Canada. Smith said she would hold such a referendum if a citizen petition called for it. Article content Article content Separatists in Quebec hope the renewed discourse on separation will boost their long-standing desire for independent statehood, which twice went to provincial referendum which failed to support sovereignty, in 1980 and 1995. The Parti Québécois plans another provincial sovereignty referendum in the years ahead. Article content That creates plenty of secessionist talk and debate, but it has been 30 years since Canada has seen an actual separation referendum. Article content 'Many Canadians of voting age and, of course, most immigrants didn't experience the last referendum 30 years ago, but there is a growing consensus that the rest of the country would want a say in the process and secession would not be simple,' said Jedwab. Article content The poll asked 1,537 people across Canada a series of questions on the mechanism of a possible separation. Article content Article content A majority of Canadians said any referendum question regarding provincial separation from Canada must be unambiguous, with 59 per cent of respondents agreeing with that, with only 11 per cent disagreeing, and 30 per cent saying they don't know or declined to answer.
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Surging Canadian pride in face of Trump's insults sags after Canada's federal election, poll finds
A surge in Canadian pride when Canada's sovereignty and dignity were under assault from U.S. President Donald Trump has slumped back to normal levels after the federal election, according to a public opinion poll. Article content Last year — in May and again in November — 80 per cent of Canadians said they were proud to be Canadian in opinion polls, but patriotism surged this spring, climbing to 86 per cent in early March, during the lead-up to April's federal election call. Article content Article content Article content In the month following the election of Mark Carney and the Liberal Party to a minority government, however, Canadian patriotic fervour has slipped back to its pre-election level, according to a new poll. Article content Article content The national opinion survey, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies and provided to Postmedia, also reveals significant regional differences in expressing Canadian patriotism. Article content 'The boost in pride in being Canadian arising from the U.S. threat of annexation appears to have worn off, and the level of pride has returned to its pre-campaign levels,' said Jack Jedwab, president of the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies. 'The most important swings in pride were in Quebec and Alberta, where election spikes in pride have returned to lower levels post-election, and that is especially the case in Alberta,' he said. Article content Atlantic Canada displayed the most patriotism in the past, with 93 per cent of respondents saying they were proud to be Canadian a year ago. That was the highest level in the country at any time in the last year of polling. Article content With the approach of a federal election — called after the resignation of unpopular prime minister Justin Trudeau — patriotic support in the Atlantic provinces dipped to 91 per cent. In the new poll, it deflated even further, down to 83 per cent. Article content Article content British Columbia expressed the least Canadian patriotism a year ago, with 71 per cent saying they were proud to be Canadian, but that level shot up before the election, reaching 90 per cent in early March. For poll respondents in B.C., patriotism had staying power after the election. Article content Ontario was the only other region that retained a higher level of patriotism now than last year. In May 2024, 80 per cent in Ontario said they were proud to be Canadian. That rose to a high of 87 per cent this March and has settled in the recent poll at 83 per cent.
National Post
14-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Despite a polarizing election, Canadians don't want a two-party system, poll suggests
While the recent federal election turned into a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives that left other parties trailing far behind, a new poll suggests most Canadians don't want the country end up with a two-party system. Article content Article content The poll of over 1,600 Canadians, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies between May 1 and 3, suggests only 21 per cent of Canadians think the country would be better off with a system where two parties dominate the political landscape. Article content Forty-nine per cent say a two-party system would not be good for Canada, while 30 per cent say they don't know. Article content Article content The poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, suggests that people in Ontario and Alberta are the most open to a two-party system, with 23 per cent of people in those provinces saying it would be a good thing. Article content Twenty-two per cent of people in British Columbia and 20 per cent of respondents in Quebec say they think Canada would be better off under such a system. Article content At 30 per cent, Conservative respondents were the most likely to think Canada would be better off with a two-party system, compared to 17 per cent of Liberals and 14 per cent of NDP supporters. Article content Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, said the election focused on two parties — the Liberals and the Conservatives — which received over 80 per cent of the vote. Article content 'Now that the … dust is settled on the election, it seems that Canadians are comfortable with not having a system that is as polarized politically as the one that this election seemed to give rise to,' Jedwab said. Article content Article content 'Canadians are still, in terms of our political culture, different from the United States in terms of being more welcoming, or more receptive is a better word, to multiple options in their electoral system.' Article content Article content While recounts in some ridings are still underway, the Liberals inched another seat closer to a majority government on Saturday when a judicial recount declared their candidate the winner in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne by a margin of just one vote. Article content It brought the Liberals to 170 seats in the House of Commons, two shy of the 172 needed for a majority government. The Conservatives hold 143 seats, the Bloc has 22 and the NDP has seven. Article content Alberta respondents are the most likely to want another election soon, at 50 per cent, compared to 39 per cent of people in B.C., 38 per cent of Ontarians and 33 per cent of Quebecers.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The true feelings of Canadians towards America and Trump
More than 50 percent of Canadians no longer feel safe or welcome traveling to the United States amid heightened tensions between the two nations. The shocking revelation comes on the back of President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to pressure Canada and the nation's leaders into becoming the 51st state of America. He has also imposed significant tariffs on America's northern neighbors, arguing that the United States needs 'nothing' from Canada to justify his trade war. The survey of 1,626 people conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52 percent of participants agreed with the statement: 'It is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States.' Broken down into age brackets, 59 percent of respondents aged above 55 agreed, and 47 percent aged between 18 and 54. Additionally, 54 percent of total participants agreed with a statement that they don't feel welcome in the United States anymore. A whopping 60 percent in the above 55 age bracket agreed with that sentiment. Meanwhile, just 27 percent said they disagreed with the statement, with 19 percent unsure. CEO and President of the Association for Canadian Studies Jack Jedwab warned the National Post this could have serious ramifications on the US tourism sector and relations between the neighboring nations. 'If Canadians have serious concerns about this, it has ramifications for our ongoing travel and interaction with Americans and with the United States,' he said. 'It's something that needs to be addressed and it's something that Mr. Carney needs to help Mr. Trump understand. 'There are economic ramifications arising from Canadians not feeling secure when travelling to the United States and not feeling welcome in the country that we generally see as the home of our main allies.' But the biggest shock of the poll found that significantly more participants did not know how to respond to a question about Trump's recent comments that the border between Canada and America is no more than an 'artificially drawn line.' Some 53 per cent of respondents voted they either agreed with the statement (23 percent) or were unsure how they felt (30 percent). For respondents between 18 and 24, 39 per cent said 'I don't know.' Jedwarb warned the results indicated young Canadians in particular might be 'more vulnerable' to that messaging from Trump. 'The most surprising part was that younger people were less sure about (the line/boundary being artificial), so they may be sort of more vulnerable to that type of rhetoric,' he said. During the recent election, Canadians came out strongly to vote for Liberal candidate Mark Carney (pictured), banishing 'Canada's Trump' Pierre Poilievre in what was largely seen as a referendum on Trump north of the border. A poll conducted by determined the majority of Canadian voters were going to the ballot boxes with the consideration of who would be best suited to stand up to Trump. Carney assured Canadians he would 'win this trade war with America' and continue to build a relationship with Trump despite 'a crisis that we did not create.' 'As I've been warning for months, America wants our land, our water, our resources, our country... never,' he said. Carney said these were not 'idle threats,' adding: 'President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us.' 'That will never, ever happen. But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed,' he said to applause. He met with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this week, where the President doubled down on his '51st state' plans. The explosive meeting was intended to foster better relations between the two nations as they seek to come to an agreement over the imposition of massive tariffs. Trump said if the two nations joined together it would be a 'wonderful marriage.' He added: 'But it takes two to tango, right?' Carney told the former real estate developer flatly: 'There are some places that are never for sale,' mentioning the White House and Buckingham Palace. Trump refused to give up hope, jovially adding: 'I say ''never say never''.' He went on to hail the meeting a success, later telling reporters: 'We had a very great meeting. No tension, we want to do what's right for our respective peoples.'
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
How Canadians really feel about America - and Trump - revealed in new poll
More than 50 percent of Canadians no longer feel safe or welcome traveling to the United States amid heightened tensions between the two nations. The shocking revelation comes on the back of President Donald Trump 's repeated attempts to pressure Canada and the nation's leaders into becoming the 51st state of America. He has also imposed significant tariffs on America's northern neighbors, arguing that the United States needs 'nothing' from Canada to justify his trade war. The survey of 1,626 people conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52 percent of participants agreed with the statement: 'It is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States.' Broken down into age brackets, 59 percent of respondents aged above 55 agreed, and 47 percent aged between 18 and 54. Additionally, 54 percent of total participants agreed with a statement that they don't feel welcome in the United States anymore. A whopping 60 percent in the above 55 age bracket agreed with that sentiment. Meanwhile, just 27 percent said they disagreed with the statement, with 19 percent unsure. CEO and President of the Association for Canadian Studies Jack Jedwab warned the National Post this could have serious ramifications on the US tourism sector and relations between the neighboring nations. 'If Canadians have serious concerns about this, it has ramifications for our ongoing travel and interaction with Americans and with the United States,' he said. 'It's something that needs to be addressed and it's something that Mr. Carney needs to help Mr. Trump understand. 'There are economic ramifications arising from Canadians not feeling secure when travelling to the United States and not feeling welcome in the country that we generally see as the home of our main allies.' But the biggest shock of the poll found that significantly more participants did not know how to respond to a question about Trump's recent comments that the border between Canada and America is no more than an 'artificially drawn line.' Some 53 per cent of respondents voted they either agreed with the statement (23 percent) or were unsure how they felt (30 percent). For respondents between 18 and 24, 39 per cent said 'I don't know.' Jedwarb warned the results indicated young Canadians in particular might be 'more vulnerable' to that messaging from Trump. 'The most surprising part was that younger people were less sure about (the line/boundary being artificial), so they may be sort of more vulnerable to that type of rhetoric,' he said. During the recent election, Canadians came out strongly to vote for Liberal candidate Mark Carney, banishing 'Canada's Trump' Pierre Poilievre in what was largely seen as a referendum on Trump north of the border. A poll conducted by determined the majority of Canadian voters were going to the ballot boxes with the consideration of who would be best suited to stand up to Trump. Carney assured Canadians he would 'win this trade war with America' and continue to build a relationship with Trump despite 'a crisis that we did not create. 'As I've been warning for months, America wants our land, our water, our resources, our country... never,' he said. Carney said these were not 'idle threats,' adding: 'President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us.' 'That will never, ever happen. But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed,' he said to applause. He met with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this week, where the President doubled down on his '51st state' plans. The explosive meeting was intended to foster better relations between the two nations as they seek to come to an agreement over the imposition of massive tariffs. Trump said if the two nations joined together it would be a 'wonderful marriage.' He added: 'But it takes two to tango, right?' Carney told the former real estate developer flatly: 'There are some places that are never for sale,' mentioning the White House and Buckingham Palace. Trump refused to give up hope, jovially adding: 'I say ''never say never''.' He went on to hail the meeting a success, later telling reporters: 'We had a very great meeting. No tension, we want to do what's right for our respective peoples.'
