Most (82%) Canadians Think Remembrance Day is as Relevant Today as When it First Began Nearly 100 Years Ago

Toronto, ON - As Canadians prepare to mark Remembrance Day on November 11th, most (82%) Canadians `agree' (49% strongly/33% somewhat) that `Remembrance Day is as relevant today as when it first began shortly after the First World War' with less than two in ten (18%) saying they `disagree' (4% strongly/14% somewhat), according to an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Historica Canada.

Despite its continued relevance for most, Canadians overall are split on whether Canada's youth appropriately honour the sacrifice of Canada's fallen: half (54%) `agree' (11% strongly/42% somewhat) that `Canada's youth do a good job of honouring Canada's veterans', while the other half (46%) disagree (11% strongly/35% somewhat). Surprisingly, only 55% adults under the age of 35 agree with the statement, acknowledging that as a collective youth could do a better job. Furthermore, slightly less than half (46%) `agree' (12% strongly/33% somewhat) that `Canada's youth understand the sacrifices of those who have died in war and conflict', while a majority (54%), `disagree' (15% strongly/39% somewhat). Not surprisingly, 18 to 34 year olds (54%) are much more likely to agree than 35 to 54 year olds (47%) and especially 55 year olds and older (39%).

What Remembrance Day Means to Canadians...

Remembrance Day means different things to different people, and on Remembrance Day this year, most Canadians will be remembering Canadian veterans of historic wars, like WWI and WWII (92%) and Canadians who have died in any war or conflict (91%). But for most it goes well beyond just commemorating those who died in the World Wars, with Canadians remembering the sacrifice of Canadians throughout its history and for different reasons:

• Canadian veterans of historic wars, like WWI and WWII - 92%
• Canadians who have died in any war or conflict - 91%
• Canadian veterans of more recent wars, like Afghanistan - 81%
• The goal of peace, in general - 81%
• Canadians currently serving in the Armed Forces - 80%
• Those from other countries who have died in war, even if Canada didn't participate - 58%

Most (75%) Canadians have been fortunate enough to hear a veteran speak about their experience in the military, whether it was someone they know personally and who spoke to them directly (41%) , online or in a film (32%) or in a presentation to a school or community group (27%). A quarter (25%) of Canadians however have not had that opportunity.

How Canadians mark Remembrance Day...

Most Canadians continue to mark Remembrance Day in traditional ways:

• Wear a poppy in the lead up to Remembrance Day - 79% (down 3 points)
• Attend an official Remembrance Day service - 32% (down 2 points)
• Observe two minutes of silence at 11 o'clock - 77% (down 3 points)

Along with Remembrance Day ceremonies and observing two minutes of silence at 11o'clock, some argue that, like Canada's neighbours to the south, we should build a memorial similar to the Vietnam war memorial in Washington D.C. and have all the names of Canadian military personnel who have died in combat in modern times. Most (80%, up 4 points) `agree' (38% strongly/42% somewhat) that Canada should do so, but two in ten (20%, down 4 points) `disagree' (4% strongly/16% somewhat) that Canada should mark its fallen in such a manner.

Most (91%) Canadians `agree' (56% strongly/35% somewhat) that `Canada should do more to honour its veterans'. Only one in ten (9%) `disagree' (1% strongly/8% somewhat) with the statement. Furthermore, nine in ten (90%) also `agree' (53% strongly/37% somewhat) that `Canadians should do more to honour those who fought and those who have died in war' while just one in ten (10%) `disagree' (2% strongly/8% somewhat) with this sentiment.

Should Remembrance Day be a national statutory holiday...

Canadians remain steady in their support for making Remembrance Day a national holiday since 2012 (85%), with two in ten (15%, unchanged) saying they do not support this idea. If Remembrance Day were to become a national statutory holiday, as most Canadians desire, a majority (57%, down 1 point) believe `it would give the day an added significance because Canadians would have more time to go to a ceremony and to reflect', meanwhile three in ten (30%, up 4 points) believe `it wouldn't really change the significance of Remembrance Day either way'. Few (13%, down 3 points), on the other hand, believe `it would make the day less significant because people would just take the extra time to shop , socialize, run errands or take a vacation'.

Canada's Contribution...

Testing their knowledge of Canada's contribution during the Second World War, just one quarter (25%) Canadians could correctly identify that 10% of the Canadian population served in some capacity during the Second World War. Three quarters (77%) of Canadians incorrectly identified the proportion of Canadians who served as 20% (29%) followed by 15% (25%), 10% (23%), 5% (16%) and 1% (7%) of the population.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 22 and October 26, 2015, on behalf of Historica Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Canadians from Ipsos' 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, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. 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:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos in Canada

Ipsos 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 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' 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 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 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 e1,669.5 ($2,218.4 million) in 2014.

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