Overview

• The online survey of 1,627 people was conducted Aug. 29–31 for the Association for Canadian Studies and released Sept. 30 on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
• Overall, 38% agreed Canada belongs “first and foremost” to Indigenous Peoples, 43% disagreed and 19% were unsure.
• Support was highest among 18–24-year-olds at 58% compared with 24% among those 65 and older.
• Half of respondents born outside Canada agreed versus 36% of Canadian-born; nearly three quarters of a small Indigenous subsample (n=41) agreed, a figure that warrants caution due to its size.
• Regional results showed 46% agreement in Ontario versus roughly one third in Quebec, British Columbia and the Prairie provinces, and experts cited entrenched regional and ideological divides alongside a broader narrative shift.