This report published by the Mowat Centre, March 28, 2108, was written by Kiran Alwani, Giancarlo Acquaviva, Robert Wolfe and Andrew Parkin.
The report analyzes data from a survey of 2,000 Ontarians and 1,000 Quebecers conducted in November 2017 – significantly larger samples than typical for national opinion polls. Its findings offer reassurance to Canada’s governments as they continue working to preserve, implement and expand international trade agreements.
But the report also finds several cautionary notes for policy-makers. For instance, 60 per cent of Torontonians think international trade benefits their local community, whereas in eastern and southwestern Ontario only about four in ten share this view and about three in ten believe international trade harms their community. A plurality of Ontarians say that the US benefits more than Canada from trade between the two countries. Ontarians under 35 are now less supportive of international trade and globalization than are older Ontarians, and about a quarter of Ontarians are opposed to more rapid globalization.