Pride in Canada is Stable but Regionalism Appears on the Rise Everywhere Except in Alberta

July 9, 2026

As Canadians mark Canadian Multiculturalism Day, it is important to recognize that celebrating diversity also requires confronting the forces that threaten it. Online hate has become one of the most visible and damaging challenges to social harmony, inclusion, and mutual respect in Canada. The findings from this survey underline the urgent need to forcefully address hate online, particularly when it targets religious, racialized, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ communities. The survey, conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies between June 5 and 7, 2026, asked Canadians how often they had seen hateful content on social media or other online platforms directed at different groups. The results show that online hate is widely observed across Canadian society. The highest reported levels of hateful content Hateful content directed at Israelis was also widely reported, at 42%, followed by content targeting LGBTQ+ people at 38%, Arabs at 37%, Jews at 33%, Black persons at 31%, and Indigenous persons at 28%. Younger Canadians were consistently more likely than older Canadians to report seeing hateful content online. Among those aged 18 to 34, nearly half reported seeing hateful content directed at Muslims, and substantial shares reported seeing hate targeting Arabs, Israelis, LGBTQ+ people, Black persons, Jews, and Indigenous persons. This suggests that younger people’s greater exposure to online spaces may also increase their exposure to hate. Regional differences are also evident. Alberta reported some of the highest levels of exposure to hateful content directed at Muslims, Israelis, LGBTQ+ people, Arabs, Indigenous persons, and Black persons. Ontario and Manitoba/Saskatchewan also reported relatively high levels of exposure to hateful content directed at Jews. In Quebec, reported exposure was generally lower than in several other regions, particularly for hate targeting Jews, Israelis, and Indigenous persons. were directed at Muslims, with 43% of Canadians saying they had often or sometimes seen such content online.