UNCEDED TERRITORIES OF MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATIONS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Most Canadians think the economy is not working the way it should and many say its needs to be changed to better address climate change and the problem of inequality, according to new research released today by Environics Institute and Vancity.
A Better Canada: Values and Priorities after COVID-19 is a comprehensive study of public opinion on Canadians’ expectations from governments, from corporations and from each other. The survey of more than 3000 Canadians was conducted at the end of August 2020, roughly five months after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
Key findings of the report include:
A plurality (44%) of Canadians think the way that our economy works needs to be changed ‘fundamentally’. Only five per cent think that the way our economy works is fine the way it is.
Three in four (73%) agreeing that the government should reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.
One in three Canadians (32%) say they’ve experienced more depression, anxiety or panic attacks as a result of COVID-19, and almost three in ten say they’ve had difficulty sleeping.
One in four Canadians (23%) say that they owe a lot more (10%) or a little (13%) more than they can afford in terms of their credit cards and loans (excluding mortgages).
Almost two in three (64%) Canadians say they think of taxes as mostly a positive thing because they’re how we pay for the important things that make our quality of life good, such as health care, education and roads – down 11 points since the question was last asked in 2011.
Four in five Canadians (82%) favour the idea that corporations have to be responsible to their employees and communities, and that this is as important as profits.
Four in five (81%) – including 93 per cent of parents with young children – agree that Canada should be a country where affordable and high-quality daycare for young children is available to all parents who need it.
Four in five (82%) Canadians also agree that Canada should be a country with a social safety net that helps everyone facing difficult economic circumstances.
69 per cent of Canadians agree that people who are addicted to drugs should be provided with treatment by the public health care system and not treated like criminals.
Canadians remain supportive of the country’s universal, publicly-funded health care system, with almost nine in ten (87%) agreeing – including 57 per cent who strongly agree – that Canada should be a country with a public health system that covers everyone, that is fully supported through taxes
A majority of Canadians think that investing more in clean energy technologies and environmentally friendly businesses can make it possible to combine a faster economic recovery with action on climate change.
Albertans are more likely to mention both the environment and the need to diversify the economy as reasons why fundamental change to the economy is needed.
Quote from Christine Bergeron, Interim President and CEO, Vancity:
“Rising inequality was a pre-existing condition of the Canadian economy before the pandemic hit but the problem has been laid bare by COVID-19. Our research shows that Canadians want change, and they want action on climate and inequality. We’re at a clutch moment in our history as our governments consider how best to recover from the impact of the COVID crisis. We have the opportunity to build the kind of society Canadians want, one that is greener and more just.”
Quote from Michael Adams, founder and president, Environics Institute for Survey Research:
“This survey finds that Canadians are feeling anxious but also resilient and want to see policies that would better protect those who have borne the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. And rather than fiscal retrenchment, citizens continue to want public spending that promotes social and environmental justice.”
A Better Canada: Values and Priorities after COVID-19 can be found online here.
About Vancity
Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its more than 543,000 member-owners and their communities, with offices and 60 branches located in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay, within the unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw people. With $28.2 billion in assets plus assets under administration, Vancity is Canada’s largest community credit union. Vancity uses its assets to help improve the financial well-being of its members while at the same time helping to develop healthy communities that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.
Tweet us @vancity and connect with us on facebook.com/vancity.
Environics Institute
The Environics Institute for Survey Research was established by Michael Adams in 2006 to promote relevant and original public opinion and social research on important issues of public policy and social change. It is through such research that organizations and individuals can better understand Canada today, how it has been changing, and where it may be heading.
TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in the base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 172.18 points at 23,383.35.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 34.99 points at 40,826.72. The S&P 500 index was up 10.56 points at 5,564.69, while the Nasdaq composite was up 74.84 points at 17,470.37.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.55 cents US compared with 73.59 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up $2.00 at US$69.31 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up five cents at US$2.32 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$40.00 at US$2,582.40 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$4.20 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.