Most (92%) Canadians Feel Skating is a Basic Skill that All Children Should have the Opportunity to Learn

Toronto, ON - Knowing how to skate is thought by many to be as `Canadian' as the mighty beaver and maple syrup. It's a skill that everyone should know, yet many children are left in the cold when it comes to skating due to a variety of reasons. According to a new study by Ipsos Reid conducted on behalf of RBC, nearly all Canadian parents believe skating is something that all Canadian children should be able to pick up if they want.

Most (92%) parents `agree' (41% strongly/52% somewhat) that `skating is a basic skill that all Canadian children should have the opportunity to learn', while just 8% of parents `disagree' (1% strongly/7% somewhat) that this is a skill all children should have the ability to learn.

A sizeable portion of Canadian parents appear to be practicing what they preach as most indicate their children are `skaters' of some sort. A strong majority (71%) of parents identify their own children as some form of `skater', with fewer than three in ten (29%) classifying their child(ren) as a `non-skater'.

• Four in ten (40%) describe their child(ren) as `independent skaters'
• One in five (18%) say their child(ren) `can skate with assistance'
• One in ten (10%) indicate that their child(ren) `plays ice hockey regularly'
• Just 2% say their child(ren) `figure skates regularly'

Among parents who identify their child(ren) as a `skater', there is an interesting contrast between how often this activity occurs as a majority (68%) say their child(ren) only participate in the activity a handful of times, but a sizeable portion (32%) indicate that their child(ren) skate on a regular basis. Half (49%) say their child(ren) skate `a few times a year', while one in five (19%) state their child(ren) go skating only `once a year'. On the flipside, one in ten (8%) say their child(ren) skate `monthly', while a quarter (24%) state their children as going skating `weekly or more'.

All but a handful of parents of `skaters' indicate their child(ren) learned how to skate before their age reached double digits. Half (52%) say their child learned to skate between the ages of 5 and 8, while two in five (38%) say it was between the ages of 2 and 4 that their child(ren) first learned to skate. Fewer than one in ten (7%) cite the ages of 9 to 12 as when their child(ren) learned how to skate, while 2% say it was between ages 13 and 15 and 1% say it was between ages 16 and 18.

Skating is such an important skill for most to have, in the eyes of Canadians, that most parents, themselves indicate that they have some ability on the ice. Four in five (80%) parents identify as knowing how to skate, opposed to the one in five (20%) who say they don't know how to skate.

Skating Around the Obstacles...

Presented with a list of common barriers that could prevent children from learning how to skate, Canadian parents were asked to pick the three biggest obstacles and the final list reveals that three in five (60%) cite the `cost of equipment and instruction' as a top three obstacle. Other barriers mentioned in Canadian parents' top three obstacles for children learning how to skate include...

• Too many other activities going - 55%
• Not interested or loss of interest - 52%
• Access of ice - 46%
• Not having time to get their child lessons - 38%
• Proximity to local skating instruction - 30%
• Other - 19%

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 24th to 29th, 2013 on behalf of RBC. For this survey, a sample of 1,011 Canadians with children in the household 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 with children in the household 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:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.572.4474
[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. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 85 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 e1,789 billion (2.300 billion USD) in 2012.