Canadians Seek New Path, Optimistic Beyond U.S. Ties
64% of Canadians believe their country should chart a new course, assuming the Canada-U.S. relationship won’t revert to its pre-Trump state, according to a recent poll by Abacus Data for The Logic.
This sentiment cuts across all demographics, with no significant differences by region, income, political affiliation, or age.
A Shift in Perspective
David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, notes that Canadians are optimistic about forging new economic ties, moving past the initial panic sparked by Trump’s trade war. This shift is particularly notable among older Canadians, who feel a deeper sense of betrayal due to their longer memories of the historically close Canada-U.S. relationship.
Younger Canadians, however, seem more focused on broader concerns like climate change and the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy. They may still see opportunities in the U.S., but their priorities are more diverse.
Adopting New Opportunities
The poll reveals that 43% of Canadians believe the trade war has made companies more willing to take risks, against 30% who think they’ve hunkered down and become more cautious.
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Coletto suggests this reflects a broader public sentiment that Canadian businesses should take bold action and invest in the country’s future. He notes that people are more inclined to think businesses should take bold action.
This perspective has implications for business leaders, particularly those heading Canadian-owned companies. Coletto says the public expects business leaders to be cheering for Canada and wants to see the same kind of optimism, and people who are investing in Canada’s future.
For Canadian-owned companies, he said, “it’s a more challenging environment.” But Canadians will be pleased to see them demonstrate commitments to Canada. Ambition and action are the keys, he said: “A little less full-out complaining and more doing, I would say, is probably the orientation of most Canadians.”
The survey, conducted from October 16 to 21, used online panels and weighted results to match the Canadian population by age, gender, and region. It has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About the poll: Abacus surveyed 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from Oct. 16 to 21 through online panels and weighted the results using census data to match the Canadian population according to age, gender and region.
