A new poll reveals that Albertans are the least likely Canadians to prioritize their province over the country, even as the province heads toward a fall referendum on separation. The Leger survey, conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS), found that only 34 per cent of Albertans said they identify more strongly with their province or region than with Canada. This marks a significant decline from 45 per cent in a similar ACS survey conducted a year ago, the only region where such identification fell. A majority of Albertans (59 per cent) rejected the idea of putting province ahead of country.
Surprising shift amid separation debate
Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies, expressed surprise at the results. “I would have expected the opposite. I would expect Albertans to say they more strongly identify with their province or region than with Canada,” he said. Jedwab interprets the decline as a reaction to the ongoing separation debate. “I think what we’re seeing in this survey is some kind of pushback, where people are saying, ‘No, we’re not, we are strongly attached to Canada,’” he added.
In contrast, British Columbians were the most likely to put their province first, with 66 per cent identifying more with their region, up sharply from 35 per cent a year ago. Jedwab noted that identification with province or region climbed across the country over the past year everywhere but Alberta. The poll found that 60 per cent of Quebecers and 58 per cent of Atlantic Canadians identify more strongly with their province or region, followed by 53 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and 42 per cent in Ontario.
Referendum on the referendum
Alberta’s upcoming vote in October will not be on outright separation but on whether the province should “commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.” Jedwab described it as “the referendum about the referendum.”
National pride remains high
Across the country, pride in being Canadian remained strong and did not appear to conflict with provincial identity. The survey found that 86 per cent of Canadians are proud to be Canadian, near the high end of what the ACS has tracked over the years. Pride stayed about as strong among those who identify most with their region. “The vast majority of Canadians don’t see the two in contradiction,” said Jedwab. He attributed the sustained pride partly to the friction with the United States that began last year.
The poll also broke down pride by region: 91 per cent of B.C. respondents are proud to be Canadian, tied with those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Alberta, 88 per cent are proud Canadians, followed by Ontario (87 per cent), Atlantic Canada (83 per cent) and Quebec (81 per cent). Pride also increased with age. Among Canadians 65 and older, 74 per cent strongly agreed they were proud to be Canadian, compared to 35 per cent of those aged 18 to 24. However, overall agreement was similar across age groups, with 92 per cent of those over 65 strongly or somewhat agreeing, versus 82 per cent for the youngest cohort. “It’s like a fine wine, it grows with age,” Jedwab remarked.
