Kelowna 
Canada has seen a surge in national pride following recent trade tensions with the United States.
Credit: Wild Shots Art/Pexels
A new poll by the Angus Reid Institute indicates a 10-point increase in the number of Canadians who describe themselves as “very proud” of their country compared to two months ago.
Additionally, those reporting a “deep emotional attachment to Canada” have risen from 49% to 59%.
Although the percentage of Canadians saying they are ‘very proud’ has risen to 44%, up from 34% in December, it remains below the 52% recorded in 2016. Similarly, emotional attachment to Canada, now at 59%, is still slightly below its 2016 level of 62%.
Credit: Angus Reid Institute
Regionally, the largest increases in national pride have been recorded in Quebec (+15), Atlantic Canada (+14), and British Columbia (+13). In contrast, Alberta (+6) and Saskatchewan saw smaller changes, while Manitoba recorded no significant shift (-3).
Credit: Angus Reid Institute
The previous (December) survey found that the majority of young Canadians, especially women, only have transactional relationships with the country – i.e., they are attached to Canada only as long as it provides a good standard of living.
The latest survey found that 95% of Canadians advocate eliminating interprovincial trade barriers to strengthen the domestic economy. Additionally, 79% want “to ensure it has oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country.
Public interest in U.S.-Canada trade relations has spiked, with 90% of Canadians closely following the issue—levels not seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns over tariffs (28%) and U.S. relations (20%) have become top priorities, though cost of living remains the most pressing issue at 58%.
A significant 91% of Canadians support reducing trade reliance on the U.S., while 59% believe in repairing relations to pre-tariff levels.
