Half of Canadians (51%) believe their province would be better off with a different Prime Minister in Ottawa.
Vancouver, BC [July 1, 2022] – A third of residents of Alberta and Quebec hold positive feelings towards the notion of sovereignty, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 33% of Albertans (-5 since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in December 2021) and 32% of Quebecers (+2) say their respective provinces would be better off as independent countries.
Support for outright sovereignty is lower among residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (28%, +10), Ontario (25%, +2), Atlantic Canada (21%, +7) and British Columbia (19%, +3).
“Expressed support for separation has diminished in Alberta over the past six months, but remains the highest in Canada,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “In Quebec, with a provincial election looming, support for sovereignty has risen slightly.”
Across the country, 17% of Canadians (-1) think their province would be better off joining the United States and becoming an American state.
In Alberta, the proportion of residents who express a preference for joining the United States has dropped markedly, from 25% in December 2021 to 14% in June 2022.
A majority of Canadians (51%, +2) think their province would be better off with a different Prime Minister in charge.
Residents of Alberta are more likely to believe that their province would benefit from having a different head of government in Ottawa (64%, -1). The proportions are lower in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (60%, +4), British Columbia (53%, =), Atlantic Canada (52%, +14), Ontario (48%, -1) and Quebec (45%, +3).
Canadians aged 55 and over are more likely to believe that their province would be better off under a different Prime Minister (52%) than their counterparts aged 18-to-34 (50%) and aged 35-to-54 (49%).
More than half of Canadians (51%, =) say their province would be better off with a different premier in charge.
Almost two thirds of Albertans (65%, -8) would prefer to have a different person in charge of the provincial government right now. The rating is significantly lower in Quebec (48%, =), Ontario (43%, -14) and British Columbia (41%, +6).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from June 18 to June 20, 2022, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca