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Vancouver Sun
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
More than half of Canadians say Alberta separation should be taken seriously: poll
As Alberta lurches towards a potential referendum on seceding from Canada, a majority of Canadians think the threat of separation should be taken seriously. A new Leger poll for the Association for Canadian Studies shows that 52 per cent of Canadians believe the threats should be taken seriously — a view that's held most strongly in Alberta itself. 'A lot more Canadians than I might have expected are taking the threat of Alberta separation — think we should take it — very seriously,' said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies. 'And what is interesting with that is that they actually think that we should take the threat of Alberta separation more seriously than the threat of Quebec separation.' While 52 per cent of Canadians think Alberta separation should be taken seriously, 42 per cent think Quebec separation should be taken seriously. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In recent months, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has warned that the continuation of federal policy deemed unfriendly towards her province would precipitate an 'unprecedented national unity crisis.' And, while a referendum on secession hasn't happened in any province since Quebec's last attempt in 1995, Smith has promised that if enough Albertans put their signatures on a petition, her government will facilitate it. In Alberta itself, 63 per cent say the threat of secession should be taken seriously. The concern level, however, is lower in the rest of the country. Fifty-one per cent of those in British Columbia agree, as do 54 per cent of those in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Quebecers are the least concerned: 46 per cent think it's a serious threat. Half of Atlantic Canadians believe it's a serious threat. The view that Quebec separation should be taken seriously is held most strongly in Quebec at 47 per cent, followed by Ontario at 45 per cent. Thirty-eight per cent of those in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan agree it's a serious threat, while just 31 per cent of Albertans and 32 per cent of Atlantic Canadians think it's serious. 'Quebecers, they feel the threat of Quebec separation is much more serious than the threat of separation from Alberta, and Alberta is the contrary. Albertans think their threat of separation is more serious than the threat of separation from Quebec,' said Jedwab. Broadly speaking, a plurality of Canadians believe that the re-election of Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government will not lead to more national unity. Just 34 per cent believe that it will, compared to the 37 per cent that say it will not. However, a large minority of Canadians — 29 per cent — are undecided on what impact the Liberals will have on national unity. Albertans believe most strongly, at 52 per cent, that the Liberals will not improve national unity, followed by Manitoba and Saskatchewan at 39 per cent, Quebec at 38 per cent, B.C. at 35 per cent, Atlantic Canada at 34 per cent and Ontario at 33 per cent. In every province, between roughly one-quarter and one-third of poll respondents believe the Liberals will improve national unity. 'It was a polarizing election, whether one likes it or not,' said Jedwab. 'And given the regional dynamics of the Conservative party, I think that is giving rise to the view that there's some challenges going forward with respect to unity, but we'll have to see.' These dire views of national unity are held most strongly by those who voted for Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party of Canada. Just 17 per cent of Conservative voters believe Carney will improve national unity. Quebecers who voted for the Bloc Québécois are similarly skeptical, with 21 per cent saying national unity will be improved. However, New Democrats (41 per cent) and Liberals (56 per cent) believe the new government will do good things on the national unity question. Conservative voters are also far more likely to be concerned about Alberta separatism, with almost 64 per cent saying it should be taken seriously. But Liberal voters (48 per cent) and NDP voters (47 per cent) are also concerned, while Bloc voters, at roughly 32 per cent, are the least worried. 'We'll have to see what the political implications are of that, because some of this is going to be seen as leveraging this type of sentiment to shift political power or political influence in the country,' said Jedwab. There is a similar partisan divide when it comes to concerns about Quebec separation. Bloc voters, at almost 51 per cent, believe most strongly that it's a serious threat. Conservative voters are the most sanguine, at 36 per cent, while 44 per cent of New Democrats and 45 per cent of Liberal voters think it should be taken seriously. The majority of voters do not think there is a legitimate reason for either Quebec or Alberta to separate. Unsurprisingly, Alberta has the highest number of poll respondents (52 per cent) who think that Alberta has good reasons to go. But that view drops off sharply to 37 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 34 per cent in Quebec, 32 per cent in Ontario and B.C., and 28 per cent in Atlantic Canada. Again, support varies widely by partisan affiliation. Fifty-eight per cent of Conservatives think Alberta has legitimate reasons to leave, while 33 per cent of Bloc voters think there are good reasons. Among progressive voters, support is lower: 19 per cent of Liberals see legitimate grievances, as do 18 per cent of New Democrats. The dynamics are similar with Quebec. Fifty-one per cent of those in La belle province think there are good reasons to leave Canada, but, again, support is limited elsewhere. Just 20 per cent of Atlantic Canadians think Quebec has legitimate reasons, as do 23 per cent of those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and 25 per cent of those in B.C. Support is slightly higher in Ontario (30 per cent) and Alberta (32 per cent). Seventy-nine per cent of Bloc voters say the grievances are valid, compared to 34 per cent of Conservative voters and NDP voters, and 27 per cent of Liberals. The online survey of 1,626 Canadians was conducted between May 1 and 3. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey for comparison purposes. A probability sample of 1,626 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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Edmonton Journal
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
More than half of Canadians say Alberta separation should be taken seriously: poll
Article content While 52 per cent of Canadians think Alberta separation should be taken seriously, 42 per cent think Quebec separation should be taken seriously. In recent months, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has warned that the continuation of federal policy deemed unfriendly towards her province would precipitate an 'unprecedented national unity crisis.' And, while a referendum on secession hasn't happened in any province since Quebec's last attempt in 1995, Smith has promised that if enough Albertans put their signatures on a petition, her government will facilitate it. In Alberta itself, 63 per cent say the threat of secession should be taken seriously. The concern level, however, is lower in the rest of the country. Fifty-one per cent of those in British Columbia agree, as do 54 per cent of those in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Quebecers are the least concerned: 46 per cent think it's a serious threat. Half of Atlantic Canadians believe it's a serious threat.
CBC
08-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Despite dip in visitor numbers, N.S. tourism revenue grew to $3.5B in 2024
Nova Scotia welcomed fewer visitors in 2024 than it did the year before, but tourism revenues increased by 10 per cent to $3.5 billion. Last year, around two million tourists visited the province, marking a two per cent decrease compared to 2023. It's also a 12 per cent decrease from the number of visitors in 2019, according to government figures released Friday. Visitors from other parts of Atlantic Canada made up the biggest percentage of tourists to Nova Scotia last year, followed by Ontario, which represented 29 per cent of tourists. Sean Buckland, vice-president of operations for Ambassatours Gray Line, says 2024 was the best year in his company's 38-year history. "We saw a great amount of visitation from our neighbouring provinces in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Ontario was significant. I think three out of 10 passengers for us were from Ontario," he said. "Quebec was very strong as well, Alberta and British Columbia. We did see some traffic from New England and the [United] States as well." Buckland expects that current U.S.-Canada tensions will prompt more Canadians to travel within the country, while American tourists may be inclined to visit in order to take advantage of the weaker Canadian dollar. While Atlantic Canadians and Ontarians helped drive tourism in Nova Scotia last year, fewer people from those regions visited Nova Scotia compared to 2023. "Since the pandemic, [Atlantic Canadians] haven't been returning to Nova Scotia quite as quickly as they have been to further away markets," said Anna Moran, director of research, planning and decision support for Tourism Nova Scotia. "They also tend to be a bit more price-sensitive than other markets. And with inflation, we have seen some increases in cost across all types of of goods and services." She said the province works with tourism businesses to create "unique travel packages" that promote Nova Scotia as a year-round destination. Duncan MacLean, president of TayMac Tours in Halifax, works mostly with cruise passengers who stop in Nova Scotia during a port of call. He said part of why 2024 was a good year for his industry was the warm calm weather. "I believed last year the number of cruise ship stops was up maybe by about 20 or 30 stops and the ships appeared to be pretty close to full late in the season, which is really good for us," he said. High hopes for 2025 Both Buckland and MacLean hope this year will be even better than 2024. MacLean said most of his clients are American and that he expects they will be incentivized to visit more often now that the Canadian dollar is weaker. Additionally, he hopes that without the carbon tax, gas prices will go down, encouraging people within driving distance to visit Nova Scotia. Moran said it is too early to predict how a trade war with the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump's annexation threats could impact tourism for the season ahead. "Anecdotally, we have heard from some tourism businesses that their bookings from Americans are as strong this year as they were last year. But again, we're monitoring trends, we're monitoring travel intentions," she said.
CBC
21-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Search numbers show Atlantic Canadians have gotten more interested in buying Canadian
Shoppers in Atlantic Canada are showing an increased interest in buying Canadian, according to their Google searches. Google trend data is one way of tracking how the buy Canadian movement is affecting consumer behaviour. "It's a pretty important measure because what that's saying to us is that consumers are interested and they're educating themselves," said Melise Panetta, lecturer of marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. The movement to buy Canadian goods has gained traction across the country, but it's especially pronounced in the Atlantic region, she said. "I'm truly not surprised to see Atlantic Canada leading the pack a little bit as it relates to involvement in domestic and local sourcing," Panetta said. "[Maritimers] are excellent at demonstrating community solidarity and local business support when they feel threatened as it relates to their local economy," she said, adding that community has always been a focal point in Atlantic Canada. While the Google trend data indicates that more people are interested in buying Canadian, Panetta said there are some barriers to turning the trend into a habit. For one thing, Canadian products tend to cost more, Panetta said. That means that people might be able to buy Canadian in the short term, but in the medium to long term, it could become more difficult, she said. There's also a lack of understanding about what it means to buy Canadian, Panetta said, citing confusion about the difference between a 'Made in Canada' label versus a 'Product of Canada' item. But saying there has been a lot of rapid movement on improving Canadians' understanding, Panetta said she expects to see the confusion reduce substantially over the next months. Why it matters For Frédéric Gionet, there is a lot to value in Atlantic Canada — from the quality of products and businesses to work ethic and lifestyle. "We don't have a lot of producers around here, but those we do have, we have to support," said Gionet, the director of legislative affairs for the Atlantic region with the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. He said buying Canadian — and more specifically, buying local — has big advantages. Gionet said about 66 cents of every dollar spent at a local store will be staying in the local economy, "versus 11 cents if you buy at department stores or 9 cents of every dollar if you buy online." He too said he's not surprised that Atlantic Canadians are leading the way in their support for local industries and products.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.L. succeeding in finding markets outside U.S. at seafood expo in Boston, minister says
'There's other places in the world that buy what we grow,' says Juan Roberts Media | Markets beyond the U.S. have an appetite for Canadian seafood Caption: The seafood world is in Boston this week for Seafood Expo North America. But as fears over tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump continue, there is talk from Atlantic Canadians about what business could look like beyond the U.S. The CBC's Leila Beaudoin reports. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage. Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne says efforts to diversify to markets beyond the United States have been successful at Seafood Expo North America in Boston — but isn't ready to share exactly where provincial products could be going. "Diversification for Newfoundland companies has been successful," Byrne told CBC News on Monday. "I'll leave that for the companies to unfold as they sign those final contracts, but we have had success in developing new markets in different continents." Byrne is part of a Newfoundland and Labrador delegation attending the ongoing seafood expo, which includes unions, plant representatives and more. Representatives from 50 countries make up the largest seafood gathering on the continent — which is giving Canadian operations the chance to explore new markets as the threat of tariffs from the United States and China loom. Byrne said it's also given the chance for global markets to see what Newfoundland and Labrador has to offer. "New markets are readily available to us. Everybody who drops by the Newfoundland and Labrador booth here at the Boston seafood show is just amazed at the versatility, the variety of products we have," Byrne said. "This is a big, big industry. We do have a certain strength here." Byrne said some contracts arranged during the show could come into effect in the second or third quarter of 2025. Juan Roberts, president of Badger Bay Mussel Farms in Triton, N.L., said tariffs have brought his business to the idea of expansion in Canada and movement beyond the U.S. Fifty-five per cent of his product currently goes south of the border, he said. He's been able to have good conversations at the show. "There's other places in the world that buy what we grow. So we'll get there eventually, it just might take a bit of time," Roberts said Monday. "There's going to be more sold in Canada, I think, but it might not make up the full 55 per cent that we sell in the U.S." Byrne was also asked about the appointment of Newfoundland and Labrador MP Joanne Thompson as the new federal fisheries minister under Prime Minister Mark Carney. He says he's looking forward to their collaboration. "I cannot help but think that that's a positive," Byrne said. "But the virtues, the attributes that I would always ask for in any federal fisheries minister is to be fair … respond to evidence and facts, and fair play. Newfoundland and Labrador, its entire history is dependent on the fishery."
