Canadians generally exercise a long-standing tradition of Being Nice to one another. Most of us also harbour a simmering passive-aggressiveness, which is just as Canadian.
That was proven in a recent Angus Reid poll that asked “which provinces believe they give and get more from Canada.” Basically, how do residents of one province feel about all of the other provinces? It was a chance for residents of each respective province to talk shit behind each other’s backs.
Turns out there’s a pretty big gap in sentiment between Western Canada and the rest of the country. “The percentage of residents in the West claiming that provinces treat them unfairly is significantly higher than the percentage saying this in the east,” reads a report on the findings.
Here’s how that vibe looks as a graph:
Quebec was criticized most for taking without giving. For example, 4 in 10 Quebeckers say they have affection for Ontario, while just 1 in 10 Ontarians reciprocate that feeling. According to the report, “half of Canadians (53%), including one-in-five Quebecers themselves (21%), say that Quebec takes more from Canada than it offers in return.”
The strongest friendship can be attributed to Saskatchewan and Alberta, while Quebec and Alberta really just hate each other. B.C., meanwhile, doesn’t care much for anybody.
The Atlantic provinces all love each other, and are widely considered the most amiable. In contrast, large sections of the country consider B.C., Ontario and Alberta to be less than desirable colleagues.
Pretty much every province thinks Alberta is getting bamboozled in relation to other provinces. That is especially true among Albertans – 76% believe they get a “raw deal” being part of Canada.
Oh, and of course Quebec just gets to sit back, relax, and bask in all of the amazing things other provinces bring to the table. Even 1 in 5 Quebeckers believe they get more than they gives from confederation.
Good luck to any politician trying to find some common ground among Canadians ahead of the next federal election.