Would you fight for your country in a time of need?

As Canadians observe Remembrance Day, the sacrifices of those who have served invite reflection on what citizens today believe they owe their country in a time of need. In the October 2026 ACS–EKOS survey, nearly two-thirds (62%) agreed that it is important to be willing to serve in the military, but the strength of that conviction varies: 22% strongly agreed, while a larger share, 40%, agreed only somewhat. The results reveal pronounced differences by age, region, birthplace and attachment to Canada with younger cohorts much less likely to agree about the importance of military service in a time of need. The ACS-EKOS results are given some context as they’re considered alongside the 2023 international citizenship survey, in which Canada placed 25th among 29 countries for the highest ratings of the importance of willingness to serve. The surveys ask differently worded questions and should not be treated as directly comparable measures (for example the 6 and 7 ranking is used to measure importance with the ISSP which would more reasonably align with ‘strongly’ in the ACS-EKOS survey. The latter results nonetheless provide valuable insight into where Canada ranks on such engagement relative to other nations.