Ten Years After 9/11, Eight in Ten (82%) Canadians Feel Safe from Potential Terrorist Attacks When Flying

Toronto, ON - Ten years after the 9/11, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global Television has revealed that most Canadians feel safe from potential terrorist attacks when flying, likely a result of the many security upgrades instituted in Canada, the United States and around the world in the aftermath of the infamous hijackings. While two in ten (18%) Canadians say they do not feel safe (5% not at all safe, 14% not very safe) from `a potential terrorist attack when flying', most (82%) Canadians report feeling `safe' (24% very/58% somewhat) when on a plane.

But clearly not all Canadians are convinced that these new security measures can keep them safe, and many have altered the way they travel as a result. In fact, two in ten (16%) say they are `less likely' to `travel abroad since 9/11 and the resulting security upgrades now in place.' Just 6% are `more likely' to travel abroad since the attacks and the resulting increases in security measures. For most (78%), however, it's business as usual, saying they are `about as likely' to travel abroad since 9/11.

Eight in ten (80%) Canadians `agree' (36% strongly, 43% somewhat) that they `accept all of the increased security measures at airports and borders as the new reality for travel' while one in five (20%) disagree (5% strongly, 16% somewhat) with this view.

The data also revealed some interesting demographic breaks:

• Albertans (91%) are most likely to report that they feel safe from a potential terrorist attack when flying, followed by those living in Ontario (85%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (85%), British Columbia (81%), Atlantic Canada (80%) and finally Quebec (74%).
• Men (86%) are significantly more likely than women (78%) to say they feel safe when flying. However, just 60% of those who do not have a high-school education say they feel safe when flying, compared to a national average of 82% who feel safe.
• Residents of British Columbia (27%) and Ontario (18%) have the highest propensity to say they are less likely to travel abroad since 9/11, while those in Atlantic Canada (15%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (14%), Alberta (13%) and Quebec (10%) are less inclined to say they are less likely to travel abroad since 9/11.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television between August 26 and 30, 2011. For this survey, a national sample of 1,012 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and political composition 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. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100 per cent response rate would have an estimated margin of error of 1773.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire population of Canada 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 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.

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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 2010, Ipsos generated global revenues of e1.140 billion ($1.6 billion U.S.).

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