For weeks, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has prodded Canada about joining the United States as the 51st state to avoid tariffs.
B.C. has lowest appetite for joining U.S.: poll
The idea has driven conversations in this country and spurred curiosity among pollsters – where do Canadians stand on joining the Americans.
Research Co. recently asked Canadians and found the notion of a province benefitting from becoming the 51st state resonates most in Alberta, where 30 per cent of respondents said the province would benefit from joining the U.S.
British Columbians have the least appetite to sever ties with Canada and join the U.S., at just 18 per cent.
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario saw 29 per cent of respondents say the same. Quebec registered at 24 per cent, Atlantic Canada at 24 per cent, and B.C. at just 18 per cent.
Age is a major driver in where people stand on the subject.
Mario Canseco speaking on the Early Edition said the highest support coming among those under 30.
“This is the generating that did not grow up with the discission about national unity that were thrown upon us in the 1980 and 1995 [Quebec] referendums,” he said. “They’ve grown with media that comes from the Untied States and they look at their lives and they say maybe we’d be better off if we weren’t part of Canada.”
Political scientists on both sides of the border in Bellingham, Wash., and Vancouver, B.C., say the ongoing statehood comments could simply be a negotiating tactic as the two sides wrestle over the threatened 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods after Trump enters the Oval Office in January.
The Research Co. poll was conducted online from Dec. 13 to 15 among 1,001 Canadian adults. The results were weighted to census data for age, gender and region. Research Co. says the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
--- With files from CTV Vancouver