B.C. residents least interested in separating from Canada, poll finds
British Columbians are less interested in seceding from Canada than residents of any other province, according to a new survey.
But the Research Co. poll, released on Canada Day, still found 19 per cent of B.C. residents either "strongly" or "moderately" agree their province would be better off as its own country.
- READ MORE: View the full poll results here
By comparison, 33 per cent of Albertans and 32 per cent of Quebecers surveyed professed some level of support for outright sovereignty.
"Expressed support for separation has diminished in Alberta over the past six months, but remains the highest in Canada," pollster Mario Canseco said in a news release.
"In Quebec, with a provincial election looming, support for sovereignty has risen slightly."
A full 67 per cent of British Columbians said they either "strongly" or "moderately" disagree with the idea of secession. The remaining 15 per cent said they weren't sure.
Nationally, 26 per cent of those polled expressed support for separation and 63 per cent were opposed.
Research Co. also asked respondents their opinion on their province joining the U.S. as a 51st state. Albertans expressed the least support, with just 14 per cent either "strongly" or "moderately" in favour of becoming Americans – a 25 per cent decrease since December.
British Columbians were a close second, with only 15 per cent interested in joining the U.S.
Just over half (51 per cent) of Canadians said their province would be better off with a different premier running the show, and the same proportion thought their prospects would improve with a different prime minister in Ottawa.
Research Co.'s survey was conducted online from June 18 to 20 among 1,000 adults in Canada, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The data was statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.