Calgarians Rally Behind Expo 2005 Bid

As the June 12th decision by the Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) quickly approaches, city residents are solidly behind the Calgary Expo 2005 bid, according to the most recent Angus Reid Group Poll. The survey found that an overwhelming majority of Calgarians support the city's bid to host the World Expo in 2005, with most citing the positive impact of a future Expo on the city's economy and reputation.

The highlights of the survey include:

• Nearly nine-of-ten (88%) Calgarians support the city's bid to become the host city of the 2005 World Exhibition, with the lion's share of the city voicing strong approval (60% overall). Only 8% of adult Calgarians say they oppose the Expo bid, while another 4% are presently unsure about their feelings on the matter. (SEE TABLE 1)
• The Expo 2005 bid enjoys widespread support across all demographic categories in the city, although highest levels of approval are registered by males, those under the age of 55 and those in the North half of the city.
• Among the main benefits supportive Calgarians see for the city through hosting the 2005 Exhibition are: a boost for the economy (64%), followed by enhancing the city's reputation around the world (34%), benefits brought by increased tourism (24%) and employment opportunities which would accompany the event (12%). (SEE TABLE 2)
• Concerns raised by the 8% who oppose the bid focus on issues such as: the cost (23%), negative impact on taxes (22%), and uncertainty about the tangible benefits to the city (20%). (SEE TABLE 3)
• Calgarians who expressed support for the Expo bid were questioned about the extent to which their views might change, given municipal government involvement through services, construction and procurement. They were presented with the following pre-amble: "If the Expo 2005 bid is successful, the City of Calgary has agreed to provide municipal services (police, fire, transportation), construct a park along the Elbow River, and participate in the remaining land purchases for the city." The findings of this probe show that those who support the general concept of Calgary hosting the 2005 Expo, remain proponents of the project, even when more tangible information about the municipal government's involvement is known. Over seven-in-ten (72%) say that knowing the city government's commitment to Expo does not change their support one way or the other, while another 23% say that knowing this information makes them "more supportive" of the bid. Only one-in-twenty supporters (5%) mention that knowing about the level of the city government's commitment to Expo makes them feel "less supportive" of Calgary's bid. (SEE TABLE 4)
• For those whose support is bolstered by the municipal commitment, reasons offered include: The city would be improved (generally) (40%), the aesthetic enhancement of the city (16%), municipal government involvement will provide employment opportunities (13%), and additional services for the city (8%). (SEE TABLE 5A)
• For those who find themselves less supportive due to knowledge of the municipal commitment, the reasons offered include: Concerns about increased taxes (16%), costs of the services (15%), feelings that the city government should not play a role (15%), belief that the lands should be preserved or converted to parks, and another 13% felt that they would require more information to make a definitive decision on the matter. (SEE TABLE 5B)

Commenting on the survey, Tim Olafson of the Angus Reid Group notes:

"When talking about issues in the public arena, it is very rare to find one with which nearly 90% of the population can agree - Calgary's bid for Expo 2005 appears to be an exception to this rule. It's clear from these results that Calgarians are firmly behind the bid to be the host city for the 2005 World Exhibition, with most recognizing the potential positive implications a World's Exhibition would hold for the city's economy and reputation."

Jack Perraton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada 2005 Exposition Corporation was pleased about the survey findings, stating:

"These poll results are most encouraging and a real boost as we begin the final month of our international campaign. We have consistently enjoyed strong citizen support throughout the bid, a testament to the confidence of Calgarians to stage major global events. Awareness of the bid is likely higher now than ever, and on behalf of the entire Corporations I thank Calgarians for their enthusiasm."

These results were gleaned from a telephone survey conducted between April 24th to April 30th, 1997, with a random cross-section of 402 adult residents of Calgary. With a city-wide sample of 402 interviews, one can say, with 95% certainty, that the results are within 1775.0 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Calgary been interviewed. When examining these data according to smaller sub-sets of the sample (e.g. by age, gender, etc.), the margin of error increases depending upon the sample size of the individual category of analysis.

This survey was conducted by the Angus Reid Group, Inc. on behalf of the Canada 2005 Exposition Corporation.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Tim Olafson
Vice-President
Angus Reid Group, Inc.
(403) 237-0066

Renee Smith-Valade
Manager, Communications
Canada 2005 Exposition Corp.
(403) 571-2016

Marc Henry
Research Manager
Angus Reid Group, Inc.
(403) 237-0066