Animosity is high for foreign banners, but residents support flying flags used by Indigenous peoples and sports teams.
Vancouver, BC [February 5, 2026] – Half of Canadians disagree with municipalities and state legislatures raising the flags of foreign countries, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 50% of Canadians think it is inappropriate for municipalities and provincial legislatures to raise flags of foreign countries—except the United Kingdom—while 27% consider the practice appropriate.
More than two-in-five Canadians (43%) believe it is appropriate for municipalities and provincial legislatures to fly the flag of the United Kingdom, while 36% deem this gesture inappropriate.
Canadians who voted for the Liberal Party in the 2025 federal election are more likely to endorse flying the Union Jack (56%) than those who cast ballots for the Conservative Party (45%) or the New Democratic Party (NDP) (39%).
Majorities of Canadians think it is appropriate for municipalities and provincial legislatures to raise flags used by Indigenous peoples in Canada (or that reference Indigenous causes) (61%) and flags that represent a local sports team (58%).
Just over than two thirds of Generation Z (67%) see no problem with flying Indigenous-themed flags, along with majorities of Millennials (62%), Generation X (59%) and Baby Boomers (58%).
The situation is similar for sports teams, with Baby Boomers slightly more likely to endorse raising these flags (61%) than Millennials (58%), Generation X (57%) and Generation Z (54%).
Canadians are divided when asked about municipalities and provincial legislatures raising flags that represent social causes (such as the rainbow flag or pride flag). While 43% consider this appropriate, 39% believe the gesture is inappropriate.
Almost half of Millennials (49%) think it is appropriate to fly flags that represent social causes. The proportions are lower among Baby Boomers (43%), Generation Z (also 43%) and Generation X (42%).
“Only 33% of Conservative voters in Canada endorse municipalities and provincial legislatures raising flags that represent social causes,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportion rises to 54% among New Democratic voters and to 62% among Liberal voters.”
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from January 11 to January 13, 2026, among a representative sample of 1,001 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
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