New Ipsos polling indicates that Canada is more united now than it was seven years ago, even with the louder political discussions about separatism, especially in Alberta.
The data comes from the same Confederation Stress Test survey that previously looked at separatist voting intentions and reveals that several measures rated as high have decreased since 2019.
“We’ve been tracking this for a while.… National unity in Canada and how people are feeling about Confederation, whether their province is fairly treated,” said Jack Gregory, senior vice-president of Ipsos Public Affairs.
“What we found when we looked at it this year was that some of these measures are actually down in terms of people feeling the country is more divided than ever, that their province isn’t getting its fair share.
Gregory noted that the results were somewhat surprising given current political debates.
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“This was a little bit surprising for us because obviously in the current environment, there’s a lot of talk of separatism in Alberta and unhappiness with how the federation is working.”
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The national comparable figure has dropped from 35 per cent to 27 per cent.
The support for separation has also lessened.
“The numbers saying that their province would be better off if it separated is actually lower now in Alberta than it was in 2019.”
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Gregory pointed out that earlier polling took place during a time of heightened political tension.
“The polling in 2019 came on the heels of the election when the Conservatives were shut out west of Manitoba, and there was still a lot of talk about energy constraint, Indigenous blockades and all the things we were worried about mere months before COVID.”
While dissatisfaction remains higher in Alberta compared to national averages, Gregory mentioned that overall trends suggest reduced intensity.
“For sure there is still anger in Alberta, especially compared to national numbers; but it is lower than it was seven years ago despite calls for independence becoming louder.”
Gregory suggested several factors may explain these shifts in attitudes including recent political developments within Alberta and broader changes across Canada since 2020.
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Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Ipsos tracking shows that in 2019, six in 10 Canadians felt the country was “more divided than ever.” This figure has now decreased to 55 per cent based on new data. In Alberta, where feelings of alienation have historically been stronger, this change is more noticeable. More on Politics More videos “Eight in 10 Albertans said that in 2019 and now that number is only seven in 10,” Gregory explained. A shift has also been observed regarding perceptions of economic fairness. Ipsos found back in 2019 that 65 per cent of Albertans believed their province wasn’t receiving its fair share from Confederation. The latest data shows this number at 51 per cent. Trending Now
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The national comparable figure has dropped from 35 per cent to 27 per cent.
The support for separation has also lessened.
“The numbers saying that their province would be better off if it separated is actually lower now in Alberta than it was in 2019.”
Story continues below
Gregory pointed out that earlier polling took place during a time of heightened political tension.
“The polling in 2019 came on the heels of the election when the Conservatives were shut out west of Manitoba, and there was still a lot of talk about energy constraint, Indigenous blockades and all the things we were worried about mere months before COVID.”
While dissatisfaction remains higher in Alberta compared to national averages, Gregory mentioned that overall trends suggest reduced intensity.
“For sure there is still anger in Alberta, especially compared to national numbers; but it is lower than it was seven years ago despite calls for independence becoming louder.”
Gregory suggested several factors may explain these shifts in attitudes including recent political developments within Alberta and broader changes across Canada since 2020.
& copy;2026 , a divisionof Corus Entertainment Inc.Source link
