Canada and the World: Part II

TORONTO  (June 22, 2010) – As Canada prepares to play host to the world’s leaders at the G8 and G20 Summits, a new survey commissioned by The Historica-Dominion Institute takes the pulse of the world’s perceptions of Canada and Canadians.

The second of the three-part survey, entitled Canada and the World in 2010, addresses one of Canadians’ most firmly held perceptions of themselves: their openness to immigration and their embrace of multiculturalism. The survey finds that the rest of the world finds Canada tolerant and welcoming.
 
The online survey of over 18,000 people in 24 countries, conducted by Ipsos Reid, shows that a majority (53%) of people, including 77% of respondents from China and 68 % of respondents from India, say they’d live in Canada if they had an opportunity to move. Interestingly, almost one-third (30%) of Americans would choose Canada.

Other key findings include:

• Eight in ten (79%) respondents think that Canadians enjoy one of the best qualities of life anywhere in the world. Nine in ten (89%) Canadians believe this – making them the country most likely to agree.
• Most respondents (72%) believe that Canada is welcoming to immigrants, including 86% in China and 84% in India, while almost all (94%) Canadians think so.
• Eight in ten (79%) of respondents would describe Canada as being tolerant of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds – equal to the proportion of Canadians (81%) who say the same thing.

“Canadians have long considered ourselves a multicultural success story,” says Andrew Cohen, President of the Historica-Dominion Institute. “The world seems to agree.”

The global survey is a project of The Historica-Dominion Institute in partnership with the Munk School of Global Affairs with the support of the Aurea Foundation.

The online poll of nearly 18,000 people was run across 24 countries representing 75% of the world’s GDP. The results of the full survey will be released between June 21 and June 23, days before the G8 and G20 Summits.

The Historica-Dominion Institute is the largest charitable organization dedicated to Canadian history, identity and citizenship. Its mandate is to build active and informed citizens through a greater knowledge and appreciation of the history, heritage and stories of Canada.