In our recent nationwide survey, we asked Canadians to tell us whether they thought a series of scenarios were likely or unlikely to transpire over the next 10 or 20 years.

Our first release can be found here.

Here are our findings on items related to science and technology:

• Most (75%) believe that in the next ten years a way will have been found to store energy from wind and solar for future use.

• Two thirds (65%) believe there will be driverless cars on our streets and highways.

• More than half (56%) think there will be more electric than gas powered cars.

• Almost half think humans will have landed on Mars (46%), and 35% think there will be commercial flights in space.

• Four in ten (44%) think Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions will be declining sharply, while 35% think global emissions will be declining sharply.

When it comes to the future of work and heath:

• 79% think it is likely that nurses will perform many of the health services performed by physicians in 10 years.

• 69% think that more people will smoke marijuana than cigarettes.

• Just under half (48%) believe unions will be stronger and have more members.

• 44% think most cancers will be curable and 39% believe the average Canadian will live to 100 years.

• 40% believe most people will work from home and 38% think the average work week will be 4 days long.

Comparing views across political lines, we find:

• Large majorities across all three major parties, believe energy storage solutions will be found for wind and solar.

• Liberals are more likely than others to think there will be more electric than gas cars on the roads in 10 years, the average work week will be 4 days long, most people will work from home, and more will smoke marijuana than tobacco.

• Liberals and New Democrats are more convinced that Canada’s GHG emissions will be declining sharply, compared to Conservatives.

• Liberal and NDP supporters are more likely to think that humans will land on Mars.

Comparing Outlook for 10 years and 20 years

Half our sample was asked the likelihood that certain events would occur in 10 years while the other was asked about a longer time horizon of 20 years. Some findings:

• Given a 20 year horizon rather than 10, Canadians were roughly 10 points more likely to think energy storage solutions would be found, there will be driverless cars on our streets, more electric than gas cars, humans would visit Mars, commercial flights would go into space, and most cancers would be curable.

• 59% thought Canada’s emissions would be declining sharply in 20 years compared with 44% who thought this was likely in 10.

• Adding 10 years to the horizon also made more people imagine the average lifespan would be 100.

• In contrast, there were more doubts about the future of unions, the longer the outlook.

THE UPSHOT

Bruce Anderson: “Canadians are known to be risk-averse, but these numbers suggest that they are not necessarily change-averse. Several of these findings suggest there is a fair bit of optimism about the potential for technology and imagination to change our world for the better: lengthening life spans, reducing environmental impacts, and expanding our understanding of space.

Correctly or not, many Canadians believe technology will be an important part of the solutions needed to reduce carbon emissions. Public expectations for the pace of emissions reduction may disappoint some, but there are few who foresee a future where Canada is not making real progress in this area, at least over the coming 20 years.”

David Coletto: “How will our lives change in 10 to 20 years? Canadians can imagine a world that is healthier and powered by renewable energy and new technologies that today are being developed. Many of us can see streets filled with driverless, electric cars powered by energy generated by the sun and wind. We see nurses peforming many of the same health services as physicians while most of us live into our 90s and 100s.

These findings suggest that since many Canadians expect rapid changes in technology, energy, and health, our ability to adapt and cope with those changes will be easier and less surprising. The speed at which things have changed in the past 20 years has primed us to expect even fast change in the next 20.”

METHODOLOGY

Our survey was conducted online with 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from June 14 to 16, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,500 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Inc.

We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.

In our recent nationwide survey, we asked Canadians to tell us whether they thought a series of scenarios were likely or unlikely to transpire over the next 10 or 20 years.

We are releasing the results over the next few days, grouping some items together for ease of presentation.

When it comes to our media and political life:

• The majority (56%) think it’s likely that Canada will have a gay Prime Minister within the next ten years. Almost as many (44%) say it’s likely that a Muslim will lead one of our major political parties.

• Half (51%) think there will be no more printed newspapers and 22% think there will be no more national news broadcasts on TV.

• 7% think Alberta will separate from Canada (11% in Alberta), and 18% think Quebec will separate (20% among Quebecers).

• 46% believe that women will have more power and influence than men in Canada, slightly higher among men (49%) than among women (44%).

Comparing views across political lines, a few observations:

• New Democrats are more likely to believe that there will be a gay PM and a Muslim leader

• Liberals are more likey to believe women will have more influence than men.

• 62% of Liberals foresee no printed newspapers, compared to 51% among Conservatives.

When it comes to global affairs:

• Two out of three (66%) think Canada will play a more important role in the world.

• 42% think the US will play a smaller role in the world.

• 41% think the EU will break up.

• 23% think China will be a democracy.

• 11% expect there will be a durable peace in the Middle East.

• 9% think Canada and the US will be one country.

• 7% think a tunnel will connect North America and China.

Again, looking at results across party lines:

• Liberals are most likely (83%) to say Canada will play a more important role, but majorities of each parties’ supporters feel this way.

• There were fewer differences across party lines on the other questions.

Comparing Outlook for 10 years and 20 years

Half our sample was asked the likelihood that certain events would occur in 10 years while the other was asked about a longer time horizon of 20 years. Some findings:

• 62% thought it was likely that there would be no printed news papers in Canada in 20 years compared to 51% in a 10 year period.

• 54% thought there would be a Muslim major party leader in 20 years compared to 44% who said that would happen in 10.

• 75% believed Canada will play a more important role in the world 20 years from now, 65% felt the same in 10 years.

THE UPSHOT

Bruce Anderson: “The numbers tend to speak to an optimism about the country and a comfort with our values. We don’t expect our country to break up, or merge with the US, and we do expect it will have more influence in the world.

There is uncertainty about the course of global geopolitics, including the future of China, the US, and the EU, but pessimism about peace in the Middle East.

In terms of our own domestic politics, the numbers signal at least some confidence that bias-based barriers to high office are limited and possibly reducing over time.”

Our next release will explore our expectations about health, life, and technology.

METHODOLOGY

Our survey was conducted online with 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from June 14 to 16, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,500 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Inc.

We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.

Our latest nationwide survey included questions on what people consider to be morally acceptable or morally wrong.

See our earlier releases  here and here.

Here’s a look at regional differences, particularly looking at how Alberta, often understood to be the most conservative province, and Quebec, often seen as at the other end of the spectrum. Here’s what we find:

Albertans and Quebecers largely agree (within five points of each other) on the morality of:

• Birth control, divorce, unmarried sex
• Recreational marijuana use
• Doctor assisted dying, and suicide
• Medical testing on animals, fur clothing
• Cloning animals and humans

Albertans are more likely than Quebecers to say the following are morally acceptable:

• Gambling (78% vs 67%)
• Pornography (50% vs 43%)
• Death penalty (63% vs 51%)

Quebecers are more likely than Albertans to say the following are morally acceptable:

• Abortion (80% vs 68%)
• Having children out of wedlock (93% vs 83%)
• Gay and lesbian relations (87% vs 79%)
• Married men and women having an affair (31% vs 10%)

THE UPSHOT

Bruce Anderson: notably, Quebecers and Albertans are more similar than different on many of these items, and neither region is that far afield of the views of the rest of the country. Still, Quebecers do seem more libertarian/secular/progressive on abortion, and sexual orientation on behaviour. Albertans are more likely to find gambling, pornography and the death penalty morally acceptable.

Methodology

Our survey was conducted online with 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from June 14 to 16, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,500 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Inc.

We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.

Our latest nationwide survey included questions on what people consider to be morally acceptable or morally wrong. See our earlier release here.

Here’s a look at gender differences:

Women and men largely agree (within five points of each other) on the morality of:

• Abortion, birth control, divorce, unmarried sex, babies out of wedlock
• Gambling and recreational marijuana use
• Doctor assisted dying, and suicide

Where difference are more profound between the genders:

Women are more likely than men to say that gay and lesbian relations (84% vs. 77%) are morally acceptable.

Men are more likely than women to say each of the following is morally acceptable:

• Married men and women having an affair (23%-9%)
• Pornography (62%-37%)
• Clothing made of fur (54%-35%)
• Medical testing on animals (51%-28%)
• Cloning animals (38%-20%)
• Cloning humans (18%-11%)

THE UPSHOT

Bruce Anderson: There’s a lot that men and women agree about when it comes to defining morality, including some of the issues that otherwise could create important public policy cleavage: abortion, gambling, marijuana legalization, and medically assisted death.

The gap on same sex marriage is modest; in fact women and men are more prone to disagree on matters of pornography and adultery, than about homosexuality. Women are clearly more likely to be leading the pressure on animal rights issues, in Canadian society.

Methodology

Our survey was conducted online with 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from June 14 to 16, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,500 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Inc.

We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.

Recently, the Gallup organization in the US updated a series of questions they have asked over the years about what behaviours or choices Americans consider to be moral or immoral. We decided to mirror the questions in our most recent survey of Canadians.

Here’s what we found:

• The vast majority in Canada (95%) and the US (89%) consider birth control morally acceptable. But Canadians are 22 points more likely to say it is moral to have a baby out of wedlock, (84%-62%). And 26 points more likely to say abortion is morally acceptable (69%-43%).

• Canadians are 21 points more likely to say gay or lesbian relations are moral (81% vs 60%), 19 points more likely to say that sex between unmarried people is moral (86% vs 67%) and 14 points more likely to say divorce is moral (86%-72%).

• Canadians are far more likely to feel that doctor assisted dying is morally acceptable (79%-53%).

• Interestingly, there is almost no difference when it comes to the death penalty, with majorities in both countries (58% in Canada, 59% in the US) considering it morally right.

• Canadians are 15 points more likely to think pornography in morally acceptable than Americans (49% in Canada, 34% in the US).

• Americans are more comfortable with the idea of medical testing on animals and wearing clothing made of animal fur, by 14 points. Americans are also more open to the idea of cloning animals, but most people in both countries feel this is immoral.

• Very few in either country believe it would be moral to clone a human (14% in Canada, 13% in the US).

We looked at differences across the political spectrum within Canada on these questions and found that, on many items, Liberal and NDP voters hold similar views, while Conservative voters stand a bit apart. Some examples of the differences between Liberal and Conservative voters:

• Liberals are 31 points more likely to approve of recreational use of pot (75%-44%).
• Liberals are 25 points more likely to feel gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable.
• Liberals are 18 points more likely to say abortion is moral.
• Liberals are 9 points more likely to feel doctor-assisted dying is moral (85%-76%).
• Conservatives are 22 points more comfortable with the death penalty (75%-53%).
• Conservatives are 15 points more comfortable with wearing fur (56-41%).

Different age groups sometimes see these choices in different ways. Among the findings:

• Most of those aged 18 to 34 think pornography is morally acceptable, while most of those 55 and older don’t. Younger people are also more likely to feel human cloning is acceptable.

• Older Canadians were more likely to consider doctor-assisted dying, the death penalty, and wearing fur to be morally right.

• Feelings about recreational pot don’t vary all that much by age.

THE UPSHOT

Bruce Anderson: “Norms about what constitutes morality are evolving in many countries, including Canada and the US. These numbers give us a contemporary look at how similar or different our cultures are. The patterns do confirm a more progressive, secular and libertarian predisposition in Canada.

The data also reveal why issues of moral choice come up from time to time in our political debates. While many Conservative and Liberal voters see morality in the same way on many issues, there clearly is a subset of Conservative voters for whom morality is viewed differently. This produces an internal tension within Conservative parties, around questions such as same sex marriage and abortion, for example. The similarlities among NDP and Liberal voters help explain why NDP voters are often comfortable considering support for Liberal politicians.

On many moral issues, younger generations have been creating new, and more progressive norms for Canadian society. In my view, these numbers show that the idea of a chronic and large “generation gap” when it comes to morality, is not really evident, if it was ever true.”

MORE DATA:

Check out new releases comparing Canadian men and women and different regions in Canada.

METHODOLOGY

Our survey was conducted online with 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from June 14 to 16, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,500 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Inc.

We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.

Our latest nationwide survey included questions related to the federal government’s announced plan to legalize marijuana.

The highlights:

• 35% of those surveyed are “firmly in favour” of the idea of legalizing marijuana, 24% firmly opposed, and 42% say they are “somewhere in the middle”. Younger people are more likely to be in favour but still only 45% of the youngest age group is “firmly in favour”. Opposition doesn’t really rise with age: older people tend to be more “in the middle”.

• Just under half of Conservative voters are “firmly opposed” to the legalization of marijuana. Just under half of Liberal and NDP voters are “firmly in favour”. Attitudes don’t vary much by region, or on the basis of whether someone lives in a rural, suburban or urban area.

• Among those who have used marijuana, especially those who have used it for medicinal reasons, support for legalization is quite a bit higher than average (73%). Those who use marijuana more frequently are more likely to support legalization.

Large majorities say it as “crucial” or “very important” that:

• “there should be a strict testing regime to make sure that the products sold to the public meet standards for safety” (87%)

• “there should be a major effort put into public education to make sure that the product is used safely” (75%)

• “there should be comprehensive training programs to make sure that those who will be involved in selling or serving marijuana help promote safe and responsible use” (74%)

These ideas earn larger than average levels of support among those who are “in the middle” or “firmly opposed” to legalization, indicating that they are conditions that can help make hesitant voters more confident that this is a reasonable policy step, and opposed voters less anxious about the potential consequences.

When it comes to the design of public education program to promote safe use of marijuana, the strong preference is that this type of program should be designed by governments and health professionals, rather than by marijuana producers or marketers. At the same time, most would prefer to see the costs of such a program borne by producers out of their profits, rather than by taxpayers. Conservative voters and those in the middle or opposed to legalization are more likely than average to want to see government involved in the design of a public education program, but private companies required to pay the costs of such a program.

THE UPSHOT

Bruce Anderson: “While some may be urging Ottawa to act on its legalization pledge with more speed, these numbers suggest that few Canadians feel that the pace of action is too slow. Instead, they paint a picture of a public that is more inclined to support than oppose this direction, but looking for care to be taken in the execution of this policy.

That people believe there needs to be testing, training and education about the safe use of the product indicates that they feel there are risks that need to be carefully mitigated. Clearly, people believe government should take a measure of ownership when it comes to ensuring safe and responsible marijuana use. However, they also believe that any financial burden associated with this type of programming could reasonably be assigned to the companies that will earn profits in this market.

Above all, the results indicate that for most people, a careful, well thought out plan to ensure public safety is considered more important than liberalizing the market as soon as possible. Conservative voters show little signs of being galvanized against the government on this issue: in fact there is as much evidence that with the right safety measures they may acquiesce to this change.”

David Coletto: “The proportion of Canadians opposed to legalizing marijuana is not as large as many might assume and it appears that opposition may be softening given the government’s measured approach to legalization. Moreover, our data finds that there’s a significant portion of the public who are open to persuasion especially those who have not used marijuana in the past and those aged 55 and older.

These persuadable Canadians believe that the government along with health professionals should play an active role in designing a public education campaign and that comprehensive training and quality standards need to be in place before Canadians can access the product.”

Methodology

Our survey was conducted online with 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and over from June 14 to 16, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,500 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Inc.

We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.

The Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) today released a new report from Abacus Data which found that 84 per cent of Canadians have a positive view of the banking industry, and that number jumps to a 93 per cent approval rating when people are asked about their own bank.

The report, based on public opinion research conducted for the CBA by Abacus Data, shows that by wide margins, people give banks positive marks for being stable and secure, introducing convenient technologies, being accountable and trustworthy, helping people make wise money choices and making a useful contribution to the Canadian economy.

“Canadians have strong, positive feelings about their banks, driven by the belief that their banks are stable, secure and trustworthy,” said Terry Campbell, president of the CBA. “Banks work hard to provide good value, and new and innovative banking and payment options, while at the same time ensuring that their systems are secure and that customers are protected. In the highly-competitive business of financial services, meeting customers’ needs is crucial to success.”

Canadians appreciate the value, security and convenience of banking

The report looks at a number of measures, including the value for money that Canadians say they get from the service providers that they deal with on a regular basis.

– 79 per cent of Canadians believe they get good value for the bank service fees that they pay, which exceeds other household service industries (including Internet, cell phone, cable and electricity providers) by more than 10 percentage points.

– 30 per cent of Canadians pay no banking service fees at all because they have a no-fee account for seniors, students, youth or new Canadians; they maintain a minimum monthly account balance; or they choose a no-fee electronic banking package. Another 45 per cent of Canadians pay $15 or less per month to do their banking.

– 65 per cent of Canadians do almost all of their banking using non-branch options, including online and mobile banking. Ninety-three per cent of Canadians feel good about their relationship with their bank, which speaks to the sense of appreciation Canadians have for convenience as well as confidence in the security of banks’ online and mobile banking services.

Trust and reliability

The value Canadians are getting is much more than just the services they receive but also comes from the strength of the industry. Canadians give their banks good marks for trust and reliability:

– 87 per cent of Canadians believe our banks are stable and secure

– 80 per cent believe that banks do a good job of protecting their privacy

– 75 per cent say that banking technologies improve the convenience of banking

– 70 per cent believe that banks are honest and trustworthy in their dealings with customers

–  Nearly two-thirds (59 per cent) say that profitable banks mean more jobs, better pension plan returns and a healthier economy

Canadians believe there is good choice and competition

Canadians feel they enjoy ample choice in banking services and see healthy competition among banks and other financial service providers for their business:

– With more than 40 banks in Canada offering products and services to retail customers, 89 per cent think there is enough choice in banking

– 17 per cent of Canadians have switched financial institutions in the past three years, and 79 per cent said it was easy to do

– Consumers know that they can shop around to find the bank and the banking package at a price that meets their needs. Fifty-seven per cent report having switched the kind of account they have with their bank to reduce their service fees, and 32 per cent have switched banks to save money.

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted by Abacus Data for the CBA. The findings are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected, nationally representative sample of 1000 adult Canadians, 18 years of age or older, and are accurate within +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Respondents were interviewed between December 16 and December 29, 2015.

About the Canadian Bankers Association

The Canadian Bankers Association works on behalf of 59 domestic banks, foreign bank subsidiaries and foreign bank branches operating in Canada and their 280,000 employees. The CBA advocates for effective public policies that contribute to a sound, successful banking system that benefits Canadians and Canada’s economy. The Association also promotes financial literacy to help Canadians make informed financial decisions and works with banks and law enforcement to help protect customers against financial crime and promote fraud awareness. www.cba.ca.

For more information:
Maura Drew-Lytle
Canadian Bankers Association
Tel: (416) 362-6093, ext. 338
Cell: (416) 918-2777
E-mail: mdrewlytle@cba.ca