Nearly half of Canadians had no plans to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

A new survey found that 48 per cent of Canadians say they won’t be taking any specific action to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This is according to Leger, a data analytics company that surveyed more than 1,600 Canadians to better understand their awareness of Indigenous communities.

The data found that 24 per cent of Canadians think they are much more aware of Indigenous history in Canada than they were four to five years ago.

The survey also showed that 36 per cent of respondents said they are a little more aware of Indigenous history than they were four to five years ago, with 26 per cent thinking they are no more or less aware.

Four per cent said they are less aware now than in years prior.

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The findings also show that almost half (48 per cent) of Canadians believe “moderate progress” has been made in Indigenous reconciliation since the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was finalized eight years ago.

Although 43 per cent reported to feeling frustrated that reconciliation is not making fast enough progress, 65 per cent of respondents agree that they are much more understanding of why reconciliation is important, Leger reports.

The data also reflects planned participation of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with 23 per cent of Canadians saying they will wear orange to show their support, and 15 per cent planning to actively listen to Indigenous people speak about prominent issues in their culture.

Aside from the 48 per cent of Canadians who say they won’t be taking any specific action to recognize the day, 12 per cent of respondents say they plan to have conversations about reconciliation with friends and family, according to the polling.

METHODOLOGY

The online survey was conducted from Sept. 22 to 24, 2023, with 1,652 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, randomly recruited from Leger’s online panel, according to Leger. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 1,652 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.