Canadian society polarized over virus, election: Poll

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - The COVID-19 pandemic and the last federal election are two issues that have polarized Canadians and led to reduced contact with families and friends, according to a new poll released Monday.

The survey, conducted by the University of Saskatchewan between March 7 and March 24, asked 1,011 people about the most divisive issues facing Canadians.

Almost 75% of respondents said the pandemic and the 2021 federal election that won Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals a minority government, were the main divisive issues.

The result has been a polarized society where 40% of those surveyed said pejorative words leading to arguments caused them to limit contact with family members of friends.

“There’s been so much amplified rhetoric in the last two years since the beginning of the pandemic, and a lot of the rhetoric has really served to divide folks — whether that division is actually real or it’s just perceived,” research director Jason Disano told The Canadian Press during a phone interview from Saskatoon in the western Prairie province of Saskatchewan.

Disano said political beliefs played a role in the answers to the survey.

Those in the Prairie Provinces (Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta) leaned toward Conservative policies. A ban on assault weapons and climate change was divisive, responders said.

But the issue of weapons' ban was considered to be non-divisive among those who live in Central Canada (Ontario and Quebec). Disano said the division is more pronounced in the US but is filtering into Canada.

“We see a lot of identity politics that’s taking hold in Canada, that has been taking hold in the US, particularly in the last five to six years,” Disano said. “And we’re seeing sort of that carryover to Canada. And it’s a problem.”

He said political leaders are exploiting the differences "for political benefit when those leaders should be seeking to unite us, and not divide us."

Respondents said issues that brought Canadians together were international aid (55%) and ethnic diversity (53%).