Survey shows increase in Canadian patriotism in response to US tariff threats

Canadians’ pride in their country has increased over the past two months, according to a recent poll.

The survey also found a 10 percent increase in those who said they had a “deep emotional attachment to Canada”—rising from 49 percent in December 2024 to 59 percent in February 2025.

The numbers suggest the tariff threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump appear to be boosting patriotism among Canadians, according to the pollster.

“Trump bringing the U.S. to the brink of a trade war with Canada appears to have reversed some of the losses in pride seen over the past 30 years,” said Angus Reid in a release on the findings.

Comparatively, 78 percent of those surveyed in 1985 said they were “very proud” to be Canadian. That number fell to 71 percent in 1994 and by 2016, 52 percent reported feeling “very proud” of their country.

Regional Differences

The latest poll found regional differences in Canadian pride.

Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and B.C. saw the biggest increases in patriotic sentiment, at 15 percent, 13 percent, and 12 percent, respectively.

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While the prairie provinces saw a modest increase, at 3 percent for Alberta and 4 percent for Saskatchewan, Manitoba saw a 4 percent decline in Canadian pride since December.

There were also regional differences among those who said they had an “emotional attachment” to Canada.

Quebec saw a 15 percent jump in those who say they are emotionally attached to the country, while Atlantic Canada followed with a 14 percent increase, and B.C. with a 13 percent rise.

Ontario saw an 8 percent increase in those who felt an emotional attachment to the country, Alberta saw a 6 percent jump, and Saskatchewan a 5 percent increase.

Manitoba was again an anomaly, with the number of those reporting an emotional attachment to the country dropping by 3 percent.

The U.S. announced it would be placing a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy exports and 25 percent on all other goods from Canada starting on Feb. 4. The tariffs were paused for a month after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump discussed Canada’s efforts to tighten the border.

In the survey, Angus Reid found most Canadians would like to see provincial trade increase as a response to the U.S. tariffs.

Ninety-five percent of those surveyed said Canada need to start work immediately to break down trade barriers between the provinces and territories.

Another four-in-five say that Canada “needs to ensure it has oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country.”

Nine in 10 respondents say they are watching the issue closely.