Latest news with #ShachiKurl
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. Article content The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' Article content Article content Article content 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' Article content Article content For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Article content Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. Article content Article content 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. Article content Article content The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Article content Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent).
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' 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. For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent). The poll also showed that political affiliation played a role in willingness. Nearly six in 10 past Conservative voters said they would volunteer, compared to just over four in 10 Liberal voters. A majority of NDP (54 per cent) and Bloc Québécois (52 per cent) supporters declined to volunteer at all. 'We've seen through extensive study at the Institute on other related areas, such as where should Canada's international priorities be, Conservative voters do tend to say they should be more on defence,' said Kurl. 'It's notable, again, in terms of some of those who are most willing are older male conservative voters,' which again, is not the demographic the forces' are looking for. As Canada recommits to its role in NATO, the question isn't just how much the country is willing to spend on its military, but who is willing to serve in it. 'We don't have robot armies yet, so there's also a human aspect to this,' said Kurl. The national online survey was conducted from June 2 to 23 among a randomised sample of 1,619 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. It was weighted to represent Canadian adults nationwide, according to the census. Traditional margins of error do not apply to online surveys, but, for comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. Article content The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' Article content Article content Article content 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' Article content Article content For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Article content Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. Article content Article content 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. Article content Article content The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Article content Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent).
National Post
a day ago
- Politics
- National Post
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. Article content The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' Article content Article content Article content 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' Article content Article content For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Article content Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. Article content Article content 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. Article content Article content The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Article content Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent). Article content The poll also showed that political affiliation played a role in willingness. Nearly six in 10 past Conservative voters said they would volunteer, compared to just over four in 10 Liberal voters. A majority of NDP (54 per cent) and Bloc Québécois (52 per cent) supporters declined to volunteer at all.
Vancouver Sun
23-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Majority of Canadians say Air India bombing not treated like national tragedy: poll
Forty years after the Air India bombing, the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history, more than half of Canadians say that it has never been treated like a national tragedy. On June 23, 1985, Canadian Sikh terrorists blew up a bomb aboard Air India Flight 182, en route from Montreal to London, with a final destination of Mumbai. The plane exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 329 people aboard. The debris washed up in Ireland. Of those aboard the plane, most of them were Canadian citizens. 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. Yet, 32 per cent of Canadians told the Angus Reid Institute that they had never heard of the attack. Just nine per cent said they know a lot about it. Among those who say they do know about the attack, 60 per cent say it hasn't been treated as a national tragedy. 'It continues to be not just a faded page in Canadian history, but almost a blank page, particularly among young people in this country, among young Canadians, the lack of awareness is really very stark,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute. In fact, the pollsters found that if they asked Canadians what was the deadliest attack in Canadian history, only 17 per cent identified the Air India bombing. Twenty-seven per cent identified the Polytechnique massacre in Montreal in December 1989, which left 14 women dead, as the deadliest, followed by 18 per cent who said the mass shootings around Portapique, Nova Scotia, in 2020, which killed 22 people, as the deadliest. While one-third of Canadians say they'd never heard of the Air India bombing, a majority — 59 per cent — say they know the main details. However, the number of Canadians who don't know about it has grown to 32 per cent from 28 per cent two years ago. 'This has never actually been treated like a Canadian tragedy,' said Kurl. 'The vast majority of victims were not white and or not of European descent. It was 1985; that absolutely plays a role, or is a factor, in the way this was handled.' Knowledge is particularly low among the youngest Canadians. Just five per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 say they know a lot about the attack, compared to seven per cent of those aged 35 to 54 and 15 per cent of those 55 and older. Those who say they know a little bit, just the main details, are concentrated in the eldest demographic too, with 74 per cent saying they know at least that much. 'How have 40 years gone by? How have 268 Canadian citizens been murdered, and our country has not just forgotten this, the data shows us, for many, particularly for younger adults today, is they just never knew anything about it,' said Kurl. In the aftermath of the attack, only one person, Inderjit Singh Reyat, was convicted, and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter for a bombing that killed two Japanese airport workers at Narita International Airport; it was supposed to bring down a second Air India flight. Only 29 per cent of Canadians can report accurately that nobody was convicted; in 2023, when pollsters asked the same question, 34 per cent knew the truth. Seventy-one per cent believe there should be an exhibit about the bombing at the Canadian Museum of History and 65 per cent say it should be taught in schools. Fewer of those polled, just 41 per cent, support displaying wreckage from the bombed plane in Canada. There are a number of conspiracies about the Air India bombing, and the polling finds that 51 per cent of those polled believe there is too much disinformation about what really happened. One conspiracy theory blames the Indian government for the attack. In fact, 10 per cent of Canadians believe the Indian government was behind the attack, while 28 per cent correctly identify violent factions within the Khalistan movement. (Sixty-one per cent of Canadians say they don't know who was responsible.) There will be ceremonies across the country to mark the anniversary of the bombing, and 13 per cent of Canadians say they would be interested in attending a memorial service, a number that holds roughly consistent across the country, except in Atlantic Canada, where 21 per cent say they would be interested. Such services have led to controversy as some attendees in the past have belonged to the Sikhs for Justice group, which supports the establishment of a Sikh homeland, and which believes one of the alleged architects of the attack is in fact innocent. Sixty-three per cent of Canadians say it is inappropriate for Khalistan supporters to attend such a memorial, including 69 per cent of those who say they know a lot about the Air India bombing. 'It's striking to see that in five or 10 years, a lot of the people who have tried to carry this torch of awareness while at the same time continuing to grieve for their loved ones, they're going to be gone. They're not going to be here anymore,' said Kurl. The polling was conducted online between June 13 and June 15, 2025, among a sample of 1,607 Canadian adults. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to region, gender, age, household income, and education, based on the Canadian census. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
