New poll suggests Canadians take more pride in their country than Americans do
A new study suggests Canadians take more pride in their country than their American neighbours do.
A recent Angus Reid poll looked into how Canadians and Americans view themselves and each other.
The numbers show that 78 per cent of Canadians believe they live in a caring country, compared to just 36 per cent of people in the United States.
“Canadians have grown to be much more positive about Canada in the last year than Americans have on America,” says Jon Roe, a research associate with the Angus Reid Institute Research.
While no country is perfect, many believe Canada is a pretty good place to call home.
“We’re very nice people,” says Halifax resident Heather Bonin. “We’re pleasant. We get along with most people and it’s a beautiful country we live in.”
When it comes to safety, the poll shows that 89 per cent of Canadians feel the country is safe, while only 43 per cent of Americans feel the United States is a safe nation.
Conversely, 64 per cent of Americans view Canada as a safe place and 56 per cent say Canada is a caring country.
“There is quite a bit of disparity in how positive Canadians are of Canada versus how negative Americans are of America,” says Roe.
Roe says American pessimism is a new trend.
“I think with the last two presidential elections, the country has been very divisive and I think people are more negative about the U.S. in recent years,” he says.
The researcher says the numbers suggest Canadians are recovering faster from the strains of the pandemic.
“A year ago when we asked a lot of these similar questions, Canadians were a bit more negative about their country than they are now, so I think in some ways, it’s kind of surprising that Canadians' appreciation of their own country has improved,” Roe says.
“I don’t disagree. Canada is one of the greatest spots in the world to live,” says dual citizen, Mickey Fox.
Fox spends a lot of time on both sides of the 49th parallel. He says he hopes America is just experiencing a bump in the road and maybe they can rebound by following Canada’s lead.
“I think if you go back 30 years, the country was strong and it kind of ebbs and flows and we have got to get back to believing in one another down here,” Fox says.
“I think Canadians believe in themselves and Americans at one time really believed, it was a proud country and it still is, but there are some fences to mend.”
As for who feels best about the nation, 83 per cent of people from Quebec say they are proud to live in Canada. Atlantic Canadians were second, at 78 per cent.
Residents of Saskatchewan were last in their views of Canada, with only 60 per cent saying they are proud of their country.
The Angus Reid Poll surveyed 1,600 Canadians and 1,000 Americans. It’s considered accurate by plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.