New poll suggests Canadians’ interest in the monarchy is dwindling

Just days after the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death, results from a recent poll suggest support for the monarchy here in Canada is sliding.

"I think that's probably true,” said one local resident who spoke to CTV Atlantic in downtown Sydney on Wednesday.

The Leger survey shows that about 81 per cent of respondents said they don't feel attached to the monarchy, compared to 14 per cent who said they did.

The survey also shows 63 per cent of Canadians believe the country should rethink ties to King Charles III.

That is a 7 per cent increase since six months ago.

However, not everyone who spoke with CTV Atlantic on the streets of downtown Sydney on Wednesday agreed.

"I like our system of government, a constitutional monarchy,” said Ian MacLean, a British Columbia resident who was visiting on a cruise ship port-of-call.

David Johnson is a political scientist at Cape Breton University, and a monarchist who wrote a book on the royal family called Battle Royal.

He said while these latest findings are interesting, there isn't much that's likely to be done about the way our country is run.

"I'm not surprised. We see poll results like that time and time again over the past 20-30 years,” Johnson said. "It's one thing in a poll result to say you want to ditch the monarchy, but how do you do it? In Canada, that takes a constitutional amendment."

Given the longevity and popularity of the late Queen, some wonder whether the remaining interest in the monarchy may have died along with her.

"She was a real lady, and I think things have changed,” said one resident.

"I had a soft spot for Queen Elizabeth, but I also have one for King Charles,” MacLean said. “He seems to have his heart and his mind in the right place, he's interested in greening the planet."

The poll showed that Atlantic Canadians reported the highest levels of attachment to the monarchy at 21 per cent, and that respondents over age 55 showed more attachment than those who are younger.

David Johnson says whether people like it or not - or whether they even care - the monarchy is a 1,000-plus-year-old institution, and he believes it is here to stay.

"The monarchy carries on, and for the rest of our lifetimes it will be with us,” Johnson said.

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