Women, young people more supportive of land acknowledgments by NHL teams: survey
Women, English speakers and young people are more likely to support land acknowledgments by hockey teams, according to a new survey commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies.
The survey of 1,512 Canadians, conducted by Leger Marketing between Oct. 22 and 24, found that support for land acknowledgments was strongest in Ontario, where 52 per cent of respondents supported the acknowledgments and 29 per cent opposed them.
Support was weakest in Quebec, with 31 per cent of respondents in favour and 47 per cent opposed.
People in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were most likely to oppose the statements, with 49 per cent of respondents saying they don't support them, though support for the statements was slightly higher than in Quebec, at 33 per cent, due to a smaller percentage of respondents who are undecided.
The survey comes after a controversy over the Montreal Canadiens reading a statement before home games recognizing that they are playing on unceded Indigenous territory and thanking the Mohawk Nation for its hospitality.
Quebec's Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafreniere criticized the statement, saying it may have made a mistake when it named a specific people as it's unclear who were the first people to live in what is now Montreal.
That criticism was in turn denounced by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.
Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer said in a statement that land is an essential part of Mohawk identity.
"It holds the knowledge of our ancestors, our history and our presence, now and for the future," Sky-Deer said. "Opinionated commentary that challenge and discredit our presence are not only insulting, they are taken as displaced attacks on our existence."
Following the controversy, a different version of the statement was read at a recent Canadiens home game, but the team did not respond to a request for comment about the changes from The Canadian Press.
The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks are among the teams that also have land acknowledgments read before home games.
The survey also found stronger support for the acknowledgments among anglophones (46 per cent) than francophones (28 per cent) and among women (48 per cent) than men (38 per cent).
Broken down by age, support was strongest among people aged 18 to 24 (65 per cent) and weakest among those aged 55 to 64 (30 per cent).
In the Montreal region, the survey found similar results to the rest of the country.
Francophones were less likely to support the land acknowledgment (29.1 per cent in favour, 48.2 per cent opposed) than others (47.1 per cent in favour, 30.9 per cent opposed).
It also found stronger support for the acknowledgment among women (44 per cent) than men (27.9 per cent) and stronger support among people 18 to 24 than any other age group (77.8 per cent).
Surveys conducted using online panels cannot be assigned a margin of error because they are not considered truly random samples.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.
--
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Case against ex-Mountie charged with helping China can go ahead in Quebec, judge says
A Quebec court judge has ruled that the case against a former RCMP officer charged with helping China conduct foreign interference can go ahead in the province.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty in betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which prosecutors allege he stole nearly US$17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.