Remembrance on Rise as More Canadians Plan to Attend Ceremony and Observe Silence than in 2010

TORONTO—November 9, 2012—To mark November 11, The Historica-Dominion Institute released a new poll measuring Canadian attitudes on Remembrance, and comparing results with data from 2010.

Interest in Remembrance seems to be on the rise, as three in ten Canadians say they will attend a Remembrance Day ceremony this year (up 8 points from 2010) and 80% of Canadians say they will observe 2 minutes of silence at 11 o’clock (up 5 points from 2010).

The increase in Remembrance activities may be related to Canada’s decade-long participation in Afghanistan. Notably, 27% Canadians say they personally know someone who served in Afghanistan. This heightened sensitivity may in part explain why 63% agree Canada does not do enough to honour its veterans; three quarters agree (32% strongly and 44% somewhat) that Canada should build a memorial like the Vietnam Wall in Washington to honour personnel who have died in modern conflicts, including Afghanistan.  

“We’re seeing engagement in Remembrance day growing steadily in recent years.  In this way, Canadians are making clear their awareness and appreciation of the service and sacrifices our veterans have made and continue to make on behalf of our country,”  said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President of The Historica-Dominion Institute.

With respect to how we honour veterans, 85% of Canadians agree (57% strongly, 27% somewhat) that Remembrance Day should be a statutory holiday across Canada. A majority (57%) feel that a statutory holiday would increase the day’s significance because Canadians would have more time to mark it while just 16% feel it would lessen the day’s significance because people would take the opportunity to shop or vacation.

Other findings include:

• 8 in 10 (82%) of Canadians say they will wear a poppy in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.
• 90% of 55+ respondents say they would wear a poppy compared with 71% of 18-34 year-old respondents.
• Nearly three quarters (72%) of Canadians agree that the War of 1812 should be commemorated on Remembrance Day.
• 55% of Canadians agree that other countries do more to honour their veterans than Canada
• 72% of Canadians agree (21% strongly, 50% somewhat) that the Government of Canada should plan 60th anniversary commemorations to honour the Korean War while 28% disagree (6% strongly, 22% somewhat).

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