Majority of Canadians proud of country: poll

Despite recognizing historic injustices against Indigenous people, two out of three Canadians are still proud of their country’s history, a new poll found.

An Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) and Leger poll, which surveyed 1,547 Canadians through a web panel from Dec. 3 to 5, found that of all respondents, 65 per cent are very or somewhat proud of Canada’s history. Meanwhile, 29 per cent said they were not very proud or not proud at all.

While the majority of Canadians are proud of their country’s history, there is a noticeable gap between younger and older Canadians. Fifty-two per cent of respondents 18 to 34 years old said they were very or somewhat proud, compared to 72 per cent of those 55 and older. There are also gaps between provinces, with 80 per cent of respondents from Atlantic Canada saying they are proud, compared to 57 per cent of respondents from Quebec.

The poll also asked respondents who they believe is responsible for historic injustices against Indigenous people in Canada. It found that the majority of Canadians (53 per cent) believe the Canadian government is responsible.

Those 55 years of age and older were the most likely to believe it is the government’s responsibility (58 per cent) compared to 45 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34. People under 35 were more likely to blame all Canadians except those who come from Indigenous backgrounds (28 per cent) compared to 17 per cent of people over 55.

Respondents in Atlantic provinces (29 per cent) and Quebec (25 per cent) were more likely to believe non-indigenous people hold responsibility. Those from Manitoba and Saskatchewan (63 per cent) and Ontario (56 per cent) believe the responsibility falls on the government.

Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of ACS, said that different beliefs across the provinces vary based on the different situations experienced by Indigenous people. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where economic, social, and cultural challenges are more acute, the tendency seems to be to blame the government, he said. On the other hand, in the Atlantic provinces and Quebec, Jedwab said there may be a greater tendency to root the issues through a historic lens and assign more responsibility to people.

“It is hard to say: ‘It is not us but the governments/politicians that are responsible’ when in many instances it was the governments elected by the people,” said Jedwab in an email.

Ultimately, the poll revealed that whoever Canadians choose to blame for injustices has little impact on how much pride they have in Canada. It seems most Canadians distinguish between, or separate, the historic injustices against Indigenous people and their pride in the country, said Jedwab. “The vast majority of the population think Canada is a very good country and across all communities have a strong sense of attachment to it,” he said.