Research shows higher rates of political engagement among younger Canadians offering hope for achieving vision of a better Canada
Canadians lean into community as pandemic continues
COAST SALISH TERRITORY and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Younger Canadians – between the ages of eighteen and thirty four – remain more hopeful about achieving a better Canada, according to a research report released today by the Environics Institute for Survey Research and the Vancity.
The first part of the report, A Better Canada: Values and Priorities after COVID-19, was released in September and found that most Canadians want a fundamental change to how the economy works, as well as a green recovery that combines an economic restart with action on climate change. It also documented widespread public support for a range of reforms, including measures to reduce inequality, improve services for children and the elderly, expand care for the sick and the vulnerable, and protect the environment.
The second part of the report, A Better Canada: Community, Citizenship and Engagement, explores Canadians’ thinking about whether and how the country can achieve a better Canada, and indicates that younger Canadians between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four remain more hopeful about the prospects of achieving a better Canada. This group is more optimistic about the prospect for progress in addressing a range of issues, including inequality and climate change. And they are much more likely to believe that collective citizen action can change an unpopular political decision. This group is also more likely to have participated in some types of political activity in the past year, including signing a petition and taking part in a peaceful demonstration.
Other key findings of the report include:
Quote from Christine Bergeron, Interim President and CEO, Vancity:
“The past year has been fraught with political, environmental, and social change. And in a climate where many may have felt despair, many envision a brighter future. The public’s unyielding desire for a better society is evident in this research and it’s up to governments and businesses to build the kind of society Canadians want, one that is greener and more just.”
Quote from Michael Adams, founder and president, Environics Institute for Survey Research:
“Our survey shows that a majority of Canadians are optimistic about making progress on racism and discrimination, but fewer say it’s likely that the country will make real progress in addressing the standard of living of Indigenous Peoples, or economic inequality, over the next decade. The economic recovery, when it comes, will be an opportunity to address these long-standing challenges, and give Canadians more reasons to be hopeful.”
A Better Canada: Community, Citizenship and Engagement, can be found online here.
About Vancity
Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its more than 543,000 member-owners and their communities, with offices and 60 branches located in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay, within the unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw people. With $28.2 billion in assets plus assets under administration, Vancity is Canada’s largest community credit union. Vancity uses its assets to help improve the financial well-being of its members while at the same time helping to develop healthy communities that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.
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For more information:
Media Relations | Vancity
Nora Eastwood
mediarelations@vancity.com
T: 778-837-0394