Canadians Offer Opinions In Wake Of Attack On London

Majority Of Canadians (63%)Agree It's "Only A Matter Of Time" Before Canada Is Attacked By Terrorists And Believe There Are Terrorists Operating In Canada Who Intend To Commit Acts Of Terror Against Canadians (65%) Most (57%) Do Not Believe That Canadian Government And Emergency Services Are Prepared To Deal With A Terrorist Attack In Canada Nine In Ten (89%) Think Canadian Officials Should Take The Threat Of Terrorism By Osama Bin Laden Seriously, But Strong Majority (74%) Feel Canada Should Not Be Intimidated By Such Threats And Should Stay The Course In Afghanistan
Toronto, ON - In the wake of the London terrorist attack bombings that left scores dead and hundreds wounded, and recent warnings from Canada's public safety minister that Canadians need to prepare themselves psychologically for a potentially similar terrorist attack in their own country, Ipsos-Reid launched a national survey among 1001 Canadians that sought to gauge anxiety levels towards terrorism and assess specific areas of terrorism concern among the public.

The survey, provided exclusively to CanWest/Global and CFRB, shows that most Canadians have a sense of inevitability when thinking about a terrorist attack in Canada: Sixty-three percent agree that "it is only a matter of time before Canada has a terrorist attack in a major Canadian city like what recently happened in London, England". And two-thirds (65%) agree "there are international terrorists operating in Canada and intending to commit acts of terror against Canadians just like what recently happened in London, England".

Most (57%) disagree with the statement that "that all levels of government, as well as police, emergency and medical personnel are adequately prepared to deal with a terrorist attack in a Canadian city" -- 41% agree with this statement.

But despite feelings among most that a terrorist attack is inevitable, half of Canadians (52%) say they are not currently worried about the threat of terrorism in their country -- compared to 44% who say they are worried about this threat.

Nine in ten (89%) believe officials should take the threat of terrorism towards Canadians by Osama bin Laden seriously. But, a strong majority (74%) believe that, despite these threats, Canada should not be intimidated and should stay the course in our role in supporting the United States and other countries in Afghanistan.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll provided exclusively to CanWest/Global and CFRB conducted from July 12th to July 14th, 2005. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1001 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

Please open attached files to view full press release and detailed tables.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid
416.324.2900
[email protected]

Ipsos-Reid
Ipsos-Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos-Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada--including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country--all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos-Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2004, Ipsos generated global revenues of e 605.6 million ($752.8 million U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

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