They may be living north of the 49th parallel, but a new survey suggests that people living in B.C. identify much more with Americans than Canadians living “back east.”
In advance of this weekend’s B.C. Day holiday, Insights West asked British Columbians how they feel not only about their own province, but all the others too.
The polling firm found that two-thirds of British Columbians surveyed said they have more in common with their urban neighbours in Cascadia than the residents of Canada’s two largest cities.
Sixty-eight per cent said they feel a closer affinity to people in Portland and Seattle than Toronto or Montreal.
That said, only 13 per cent said that British Columbia would be better off as its own country.
The majority – 70 per cent – told pollsters the views of British Columbians are different from the rest of Canada.
The province’s tourism motto ‘Super, Natural B.C.’ holds true when it comes to how British Columbians consider the region. The most popular answer when asked about what makes the province unique are “beautiful, diverse, scenery and geography.”
Compare that to how survey respondents described neighbouring Alberta: Oil, flat, cold, cowboy and barren.
British Columbians overwhelmingly said they were proud of the province they live in (92 per cent). A total of 84 per cent said they’d stay here for the rest of their lives, and 66 per cent said their children would too.
815 British Columbians were polled online from July 22 to 25. Insights West claims a margin of error of +/-3.5%, 19 times out of 20.
