Canadians Split on Test of Canada's Vimy Ridge Battle in 1917:
49% Pass while 51% Fail as One Quarter (26%) Score Perfect

Toronto, ON - A new Ipsos Reid poll, conducted on behalf of the Vimy Foundation indicates that, encouragingly, Canadians split on their success when presented with six multiple-choice questions about the history of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The poll is being released on the eve of the Annual Vimy Gala at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto, on May 5, 2014. Founded in 2006, the mission of the Vimy Foundation is to preserve and promote Canada's First World War legacy as symbolized with the victory of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, a milestone when Canada came of age and was then recognized on the world stage. Visit www.vimyfoundation.ca.

The data show that one half (49%) of Canadians passed the quiz, answering four or more questions correctly out of the six-question test, while the other half failed (51%), One quarter (26%) of Canadians scored perfectly (6 out of 6), 13% answered five questions correctly, 12% had four correct responses, 13% had three correct responses, 16% had two correct responses, and 14% had only one correct response. One in twenty Canadians (5%) did not get any of the answers right.

Over the next four years, as Canada and the world mark the centenary of the Great War, Canadians will have the opportunity to reflect and remember the sacrifice of Canadian soldiers and their participation in some of the most famous battles in Canadian history - including Vimy Ridge, where Canadians suffered over 10,000 casualties.

The survey reveals that some groups of Canadians are more knowledgeable about the Battle of Vimy Ridge than others:

• Respondents in Ontario (61% passed the quiz), Alberta (61%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (60%) were most likely to pass the quiz, followed by those living in BC (52%), Atlantic Canada (51%) and Quebec (28%). Quebecers were most likely to fail (72%), followed by those in Atlantic Canada (49%), BC (48%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (40%), Alberta (39%) and Ontario (39%).
• More men (57%) than women (46%) passed the quiz, while more women (54%) than men (43%) failed.
• Most (63%) adults aged 55 and over passed the test, while 37% failed. More Canadians under the age of 55 failed (55%) than passed (45%).
• Most Canadians with a university degree passed (71% pass vs. 29% fail), and a slim majority of Canadians with some post-secondary education also passed (53% pass vs. 47% fail). However, most of those with only a high school diploma (46% pass vs. 54% fail) or no high school diploma (25% pass vs. 75% fail) didn't perform well.

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Who Will Attend Vimy Ridge in France in 2017?

In 2017, The Battle of Vimy Ridge will have its centennial celebration observances and an unveiling of a new Vimy Education Centre. Some (3%) Canadians state that they or a member of their family plan to travel to France in 2017 to commemorate the event.

• Men (4%) are more likely than women (1%) to say someone in their family plans on heading to Vimy Ridge in 2017

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between March 14th to 18th, 2014 on behalf of The Vimy Foundation. For this survey, a sample of 1,015 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers 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 and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

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