Survey Backgrounder: Canadian Priceless Index

Canadian views on the most priceless aspects of Canadian life,
history and society, and this nation’s contributions to the world

A national survey of 2,028 Canadians 18 years of age and over carried out by telephone by Environics Research Group between May 21 and June 5, 2002. Results to a survey of this size can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percent, nineteen times out of twenty.

Canadian values

1. When something is described as being priceless, what does that mean to you?
• 43 per cent said it was something with no monetary value and cannot be priced by its very nature
• 17 per cent said it was something too valuable to be given a price
• 15 per cent said it was an irreplaceable object
• 13 per cent said it was something very valuable or expensive
• 4 per cent said it was something without a price tag
• 4 per cent said it was something precious
  
  
2. What is most priceless to you personally?
• 35 per cent said family
• 17 per cent said good health
• 16 per cent said their children
• 5 per cent said it was life itself
• 4 per cent said their spouse
• 4 per cent said love, happiness, self identity or respect
  
  
3. What is your single most priceless memory?
• 31 per cent said it was their child’s birth
• 9 per cent said it was their wedding day or their honeymoon
• 8 per cent said it was a trip or vacation
• 6 per cent said it was a specific member of their family
• 6 per cent said it was family time or their childhood
  
  
4. What about Canada is most priceless to you?
• 46 per cent said it was their freedom or choices
• 26 per cent said it was the physical beauty of the country, or geography
• 13 per cent said it was multiculturalism or diversity
• 12 per cent said it was Canadian sovereignty, Canadian identity or unity
• 9 per cent said it was our health care system
  
  
5. What would you say is Canada’s greatest contribution to the world?
• 25 per cent said peacekeeping or peaceful
• 16 per cent said helping other countries, humanitarian aid
• 10 per cent said multiculturalism or open immigration
• 8 per cent said trade, resources or food
• 5 per cent said freedom, respect for human rights
• 5 per cent said medical or scientific advances
  
  

Canadians’ time

6. What would you say is your favorite thing to do with your spare time?
• 20 per cent said reading
• 14 per cent said playing or watching sports
• 9 per cent said spending time with family or friends
• 8 per cent said gardening
• 6 per cent said being outdoors (camping, fishing, hunting, etc)
• 1 per cent said sex
  
  
7. What do you consider the best way to spend Canada Day (July 1)?
• 32 per cent said with family, friends or neighbours
• 9 per cent said sleeping in or relaxing
• 8 per cent said watching fireworks
• 7 per cent said at a picnic or BBQ
• 6 per cent said doing sports or other outdoor recreation
  
  
8. What do you consider the best way to spend St. Jean Baptiste Day (Quebec respondents only)?
• 26 per cent said with family or friends
• 19 per cent said at a party
• 10 per cent said sleeping in or relaxing
• 6 per cent said going to a concert
• 6 per cent said watching fireworks
  
  

What Canadians think about Canada

9. Which one of the following events in Canadian history is the most significant to you personally?
• 46 per cent said it was the creation of Medicare in the 1960’s
• 29 per cent said it was the charter of rights and freedoms being enshrined in the constitution in 1982
• 8 per cent said it was the 1972 Canada-Russia hockey series
• 7 per cent said it was the referendums on Quebec independence in 1980 and 1995
• 6 per cent said it was the signing of the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. in 1989
  
  
10. Who is the Canadian public figure, past or present, you admire the most?
• 31 per cent said Pierre Trudeau
• 4 per cent said Jean Chretien
• 4 per cent said Rene Levesque
• 3 per cent said John Diefenbaker
• 3 per cent said Wayne Gretzky
  
  
11. What one word best describes how you think Canada is perceived internationally?
• 14 per cent said peaceful
• 12 per cent said friendly
• 10 per cent said free or freedom
• 10 per cent said good or great
• 9 per cent said soft or a pushover
  
  
12. What is the most Canadian food you can think of?
• 17 per cent said maple syrup
• 8 per cent said beef or steak
• 7 per cent said hamburgers or hot dogs
• 6 per cent said poutine
• 5 per cent said potatoes or French fries, Canadian bacon, wheat or grain
  
  
13. What do you think is or has been Canada’s greatest musician, musical property or musical group?
• 22 per cent said Celine Dion
• 5 per cent said Anne Murray
• 5 per cent said Bryan Adams
• 4 per cent said Guess Who/Burton Cummings
  
  
14. Which of Canada’s provinces do you think has the people with the best sense of humour?
• 29 per cent said Newfoundland
• 23 per cent said Quebec
• 14 per cent said Ontario
• 6 per cent said BC
• 6 per cent said Alberta
  
  
15. What place in Canada do you think is the most priceless in terms of its physical beauty?
• 18 per cent said BC in general
• 15 per cent said Rocky Mountains
• 5 per cent said Quebec City
• 5 per cent said Banff or Banff National Park
• 5 per cent said Vancouver
  
  
16. Which of the following do you think is the most priceless moment in the history of Canadian sports?
• 33 per cent said Canada’s Olympic golds in hockey in Salt Lake City
• 29 per cent said Paul Henderson’s winning goal in the 1972 Canada-Russia hockey series
• 19 per cent said Sale and Pelletier’s figure skating gold in Salt Lake City
• 14 per cent said the Toronto Blue Jays winning the World Series
  
  
17. What is the greatest change you’ve seen in your lifetime?
• 9 per cent said new technology (i.e. the Internet, cell phones, etc)
• 8 per cent said immigration, multiculturalism or greater diversity
• 6 per cent said free trade
• 5 per cent said separatism, bilingualism or the Quebec referendum
• 5 per cent said population increase or urbanization
  
  
18. What do you think are the greatest challenges Canada will see in the future?
• 16 per cent said economic issues
• 15 per cent said maintaining independence from the U.S.
• 11 per cent said terrorism or military challenges
• 10 per cent said keeping Medicare and social programs
• 8 per cent said national unity with Quebec
  
  

Canadians and money

19. What is the most priceless purchase you have ever made?
• 24 per cent said a house or home
• 13 per cent said a car
• 7 per cent said a wedding ring
• 6 per cent said jewelry or clothing
• 4 per cent said pets
• 4 per cent said hobbies, music or art
  
  
20. What is your favourite thing to spend money on?
• 16 per cent said clothes, jewelry or make-up
• 14 per cent said food or dining out
• 10 per cent said gifts
• 10 per cent said travel
• 10 per cent said entertainment, such as plays or concerts
  
  
21. What is the most important thing to spend money on?
• 30 per cent said food
• 17 per cent said housing, either home ownership, mortgage or rent
• 11 per cent said family, friends or children
• 9 per cent said health and well-being
• 7 per cent said education – of themselves or their children
  
  
22. If you won a million dollars, what would you do with the money?
• 49 per cent said give it to family or friends
• 47 per cent said buy a new house or pay down a mortgage
• 40 per cent said travel
• 27 per cent said donate to charity
• 24 per cent said buy a new car or other vehicle

Allison Morris, Tina Gladstone or Christopher Fox
Environics Communications for MasterCard Canada
416-920-9000
amorris@pr.environics.ca
tgladstone@pr.environics.ca
cfox@pr.environics.ca