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OCTOBER 7, ONE YEAR LATER

That which follows examines key aspects of Canadian public opinion one year after the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th.Specifically, Canadians were asked about how they viewed the attack and its perpetrators, with whom they sided in the War between Israel and Hamas, the right to self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians, the prospects for peace, to whom they were more sympathetic in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, their views on Zionism and how they see various communities in Canada. The survey was conducted by the firm Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies over the period September 20-22, 2024 with a sample of 1612 Canadians.

The Majority of Canadians do not identify as settler colonists

For most Canadians, whether born here or elsewhere, the Indigenous-Settler Colonist binary/dichotomy doesn’t appear to reflect the way in which Canadians define themselves. This conclusion is reflected in a survey conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies which reveals that some 47% of Canadians disagree when asked whether they were settler colonists in Canada while some 30% didn’t know and 23% agreed. It’s reasonably safe to conclude that the 30% that didn’t respond simply don’t understand the notion of settler colonialism. Ironically the only group that to a significant extent see themselves as ‘settlers’ are Canada’s francophones who often learned about that they colonized parts of the province a term which in French they equate with settling it. But in this case the question formulation in French gave rise to an interpretation that served to reaffirm a view amongst francophones that they were Canada’s first settlers.

The relationship between religions and a secular society

Trying to Put an Ocean in a Paper Cup: An Argument for the “Un-definition of Religion”

What Sports do Canadians Watch Most Often? Is Hockey Viewing on the decline in Toronto?

Hockey season is officially set to begin in a few weeks. It arrives at a time of year when the most popular North American professional sports coincide for sports viewing public. In effect, Canadian Professional Football is well into the season, the NFL season is beginning, baseball in the last quarter , basketball season is not far off and soccer is readily available for its dedicated followers. What sports do Canadians watch most over the course of the year. It’s a question we put to Canadians in a Leger survey conducted in the middle of July (we asked them to select two if they so wished). The results confirm that that hockey remains the sport watched by the largest plurality of Canadians. But its viewership varies and continues to be affected by the country’s ever evolving demographics and this is reflected in the patterns of viewing in some of the country’s larger cities.

Inducing Fundamentalisms: Law as a Cultural Force in the Domain of Religion

Perceptions of prejudice towards selected groups, intergroup relations and concerns over hate expression

The results around prejudice towards groups are based on a survey of 1784 respondents by Leger for the ACS conducted between July 12 and 15, 2024. The mid to late May 2024 surveys in the two countries partly offer an update to surveys conducted by Leger-ACS in February 2023. but they go beyond by adding questions relative to online hate as well as intergroup relations. It also offers comparisons on such issues with opinion in the United States. The results to the new question around hate on line suggest a major challenge for the new Federal legislation around on line harms.

Olympic Expectations: How Optimistic are Canadians about the country’s medal performance?

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games (XXXIII Olympiad) officially branded Paris 2024, will officially commence on July 26 and run to August 11 2024 (with some competitions starting on July 24). According to a Leger survey for the Association for Canadian Studies conducted July 12-15, 2024 , most Canadians have high expectations for the performance of Canadian athletes with the expectation that we’ll surpass our medal count from the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo where team Canada finished 11th overall with 24 medals -the country’s second best total all-time at a Summer Games.

A clear majority of Canadians agree with the removal of the pro-Palestinian encampments

On the morning of July 5th Montreal police in riot gear removed protesters out ofa pro-Palestinian encampment in Victoria Square and on July 10th after 2½ months of courtroom pleadings, acts of vandalism, counter-protests and talk about divestment,on provincial police and security officials took down the pro-Palestinian encampment that had been on the Montreal downtown campus since April 27.

Concern with the numbers of immigrants to Canada continues to rise

In Canada, July 12-15 Leger poll for the Association for Canadian Studies saw the percentage saying there are too many at 60% the highest on record in this century. It comes at a time when we’re seeing global trends in immigrant receiving countries pointing to growing concern with immigration levels and the issues moving to the forefront of national elections in such countries.

Identifying Best Practices in Combatting Discrimination in the Settlement Process

This research project, conducted by the Association for Canadian Studies and funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), aims to inform and improve the settlement process by identifying barriers related to racism and discrimination. The study addresses barriers to integration related to discrimination when accessing settlement services. The primary objectives are to generate best practices, identify valuable lessons, and promote positive changes within the settlement sector concerning anti-discrimination and anti-racism efforts. Utilizing qualitative research methods, the project explores the challenges faced by racialized newcomers regarding systemic racism, discrimination, and service accessibility. The research provides insights into the lived experiences of these newcomers, highlighting both systemic barriers and effective practices within the settlement sector. The project aims to enhance the settlement sector's ability to assess and address the obstacles faced by racialized newcomers during their integration process. The findings offer key insights and recommendations for effective programming and policy development related to anti-discrimination and anti-racism. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the best possible integration outcomes for racialized immigrants and refugees, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment.

Canadian Expectation for the Olympics

Canadian opinion on the removal of the encampments

Rising concern over immigrant numbers across North America

Canada: Nation of Minorities?

Over the week of June 24th through July 1 Quebecers mark the fete nationale and the following week is Canada day which for several decades has been the object of much less uptake in what was once described as la belle province. Neither the fete nationale nor Canada day give rise to meaningful reflection about our identities but rather serve as a widely appreciated break before summer. Identity debates nonetheless persist in Canada and without oversimplifying things, in Quebec, the existential question continues to pit those influencers who believe that we needn’t choose between our Quebec and Canadian identities and those who feel that a choice must be made between these two inevitably conflicting identities. Canada has been described as a nation of minorities and with its rapidly changing demographics and the growing ethnic and racial diversity to which it gives rise we re likely to see greater numbers of Canadians identifying themselves as members of minority groups. That’s partly because however important language identities are in Quebec they appear to be less so in the rest of Canada as regards to principal lens via which people define themselves

Global Conflict and Canadian views of selected nations

Rising Holocaust skepticism in Canada

The Interplay Between Social, Economic, And Subjective Integration Factors Among Immigrants In Canada: The Case Of Quebec’s Latin Americans

Indigenous Peoples, Multiculturalism1 , Diversity And Inclusion

Canadian opinion of Americans and trust of Trump and Biden

Perceptions of hate and prejudice and it victims in Canada and the United States

Canadians’ Perceptions of University Encampments

To what extent are the encampments supported by Canadians? According to a survey conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies and Robert Brym, Professor of Sociology Emeritus, University of Toronto, the encampments enjoy the support of just 16% of all Canadian adults, though opinion varies by age, gender, ideological preference, and other factors. The survey was conducted via web panel over the period May 17-20, 2024, with a sample of 1,519 Canadians. The poll results were weighted by population characteristics taken from the 2021 Census of Canada (age, gender, area of residence, educational attainment, and so on).

Comparing skepticism about the Holocaust in Quebec with the rest of Canada

What might be described as skepticism about the Holocaust is somewhat higher in Quebec than it is in the rest of Canada as revealed in a Leger poll conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies over the period February 23-26, 2024 with a sample of 1590 Canadians ( 368 respondents in Quebec and 1222 respondents in the rest of Canada). That which follows compares such skepticism in Quebec with the rest of Canada in particular on the basis of age, gender, educational attainment and looks at the extent to which Holocaust skeptics in Quebec harbor anti-Jewish sentiment . On that last point it reveals that amongst the minority of Quebecer s who feel that the Holocaust is exaggerated some 7 in 10 hold negative sentiment towards Jews.

Across the Spectrum: Canadian and American views of the United Nations, self –assessed understanding of global conflicts and perceptions over prospects for peace

How knowledgeable are Canadians and Americans about global conflicts and how do they feel about their prospects for resolution? How do Canadians and Americans feel about the United Nations? To what extent do ideological preferences/orientations influence our perceptions around global conflicts and organizations like the UN that try to find solutions. In response to these questions, the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute commissioned the firm Leger Marketing to survey Canadians and Americans. The survey was conducted over the period February 23-26, 2024 with a sample of 1590 Canadians and 1005 Americans.