Education & History

Canada at the Games: History in the Making

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Toronto, ON – The Vancouver Olympics are shaping up to be a defining moment in Canada’s national history, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Historica-Dominion Institute.     


One Half (47%) of Canadians ‘Agree’ The Montreal Canadiens are ‘The Greatest Hockey Team in History’

Monday, November 30, 2009

Toronto, ON – In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens hockey franchise, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Historica-Dominion Institute has revealed that one half (47%) of Canadians ‘agree’ (17% strongly/30% somewhat) that the ‘Montreal Canadiens are the greatest hockey team in history’. In comparison, less than half as many Canadians, just two in ten (20%), ‘agree’ (3% strongly/16% somewhat) that ‘the Toronto Maple Leafs are the greatest hockey team in history’.     


Canada’s North Poll: One in Three (31%) Canadians Score a ‘D’ (18%) or Fail (13%) a simple True or False Quiz About Canada’s Arctic

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Toronto, ON – Canada is well-known around the world for its vast arctic, often characterized as “the True North Strong and Free”, but a new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami suggests that various aspects about Canada’s arctic are not well-known among Canadians themselves.     


Canadian Post Secondary Education (2)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Vancouver, BC – An Ipsos Reid online poll of 1,493 adult Canadians reveals that Canadians hold quite strong views on the future importance of having a post-secondary credential if one wants to succeed or get ahead in life. And, a good number of them are considering taking on further studies in the near future.     


Canadian Post-Secondary Education (1)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Vancouver, BC – An Ipsos Reid online poll of 1,493 adult Canadians reveals that Canadians hold generally favourable views of the quality of education provided by the country’s universities, colleges, and institutes. However, there’s no real consensus on the progress these institutions have made in sustaining the quality of education they offer students. Indeed, Canadians are almost as likely to see an improvement in quality, as a decline, or no change over the past 10 years.     


Two in ten (20%) Canadians say they will attend an official Remembrance Day service on November 11th this year – Up from 16% in 2008

Monday, November 09, 2009

Toronto, ON – In the lead-up to Remembrance Day, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of The Historica-Dominion Institute examines Canadians’ attitudes towards remembrance and their personal connection to veterans and the Canadian Forces.     


Teens Welcome Parents’ Increasing Openness about Their Past Experiences with Alcohol or Drugs

Thursday, October 08, 2009

New York, NY – Two thirds of boys and girls aged 15 to 18 (67%) say that their parents have told them about their own experiences with alcohol and drugs when they were young, and these teens nearly unanimously (95%) look at it as a good thing, according to a new study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Hazelden.     


Four in Ten (38%) Postsecondary Students Say Spending Money Won’t Last Past Christmas

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Toronto, ON – University and college students are concerned about whether they’ll have enough money to get through the school year according to a new Ipsos Reid poll concerning student finances, conducted on behalf of RBC. The survey found that 43% of new college and university students and 35% of returning students think that they’ll only be able to stretch their spending money as far as the Christmas break, with 50% of all post secondary students expecting it to run out before the school year ends.     


Parents of Above Average Students Are More Likely to Use Praise to Motivate their Children Academically

Friday, July 03, 2009

Toronto, ON – Nearly nine in ten parents of a child performing at an above average level (86%) say that they tend to use praise rather than tangible rewards to motivate their child to do their homework, according to an Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of Kumon Math and Reading Centres. Parents say that the benefits of using praise as a motivator include instilling a sense of responsibility, a feeling of accomplishment, and homework getting done more quickly.     


Parents See Beneficial Link Between Volunteering and Education

Friday, July 03, 2009

Toronto, ON – Many parents see a link between education in the classroom and volunteerism in their communities, according to an Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of Kumon Math and Reading Centres. Parents see the benefits as being two-fold: volunteerism enhances education while education encourages volunteerism.     


Dominion Institute’s new Canadian Icons Survey Reveals Some Not-So-Familiar Faces

Monday, June 29, 2009

Toronto, ON — As Canada celebrates its 142nd birthday on July 1st, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Dominion Institute has revealed that many Canadians cannot identify the names of ten iconic Canadians, both past and present, from a picture provided to them.     


Three quarters (72%) of Working Canadians Believe that Current Levels of Adult Literacy in Canada are a Problem

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Toronto, ON – Three quarters (72%) of working Canadians believe that the current level of adult literacy – that is reading, writing and mathematics skills among adults for whom English or French is their first language – is a ‘problem’ (15% major/58% moderate). Further, an additional 26% believe it is a ‘minor problem’, while just 2% believe there is no problem at all.     


Most Fathers Today Take an Active Role in their Child’s Academics, Both During the School Year and the Summer

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

New York, NY — Many fathers today play an active role in their child’s activities, from homework help to volunteering, according to a new survey of parents of a child ages 5 to 15 conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Kumon Math and Reading Centers. Nearly all fathers (98%) say that they personally help their child with their homework when they have a problem, most commonly by observing and proactively helping their child when they are struggling (39%).     


Albertans on Environmental Education

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Calgary, AB – A recent Ipsos Reid study commissioned by the Alberta Council for Environmental Education (ACEE) shows that the majority of Albertans (75%) agree that schools in Alberta should give top priority to providing students with opportunities to do environmental action projects. Support varies by type of action project, with 90% of Albertans saying they would support Kindergarten to Grade 12 students being involved in neighbourhood clean-up, 78% would support students educating others about local environmental issues, and 67% would support students presenting to politicians on an environmental issue.     


As Christians Mark the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter Weekend, New Poll Finds Fewer Canadians Believe in God

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Toronto, ON – As Christians mark the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ this coming weekend, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Canwest News Service and Global National has revealed that six in ten (58%) Canadians ‘definitely believe in God’, down from 64% who said the same in 2003. Further, 13% of Canadians indicate that ‘sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t’ believe in God, statistically unchanged (down 1 point) from six years ago.     


As Nunavut Celebrates its 10th Anniversary, A Survey Gauges Southern Canadians’ Views on the North For the First Time

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Toronto, ON – A new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Dominion Institute has revealed that three quarters (74%) ‘agree’ (24% strongly/50% somewhat) that ‘Canadian politicians should focus more attention on Canada’s North and less on our Southern neighbour, the USA’.     


If They Had the Chance to Carry the Olympic Torch, Nearly One Half (44%) Would Choose to Pass the Torch to Terry Fox, Topping the List of Iconic Canadians

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Toronto, ON – If they had a chance to be an Olympic Torchbearer and could choose any Canadian (living or deceased) to pass the torch to, nearly one half (44%) of Canadians would choose to relay the torch to Terry Fox, the heroic Canadian who was unable to complete his cross-Canada Marathon of Hope in 1980. Terry Fox topped the list across the country, among all age categories, and for both men and women. Receiving the next-most votes is hockey-legend Wayne Gretzky (14%), followed by former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (12%), pop-star Celine Dion (7%), hockey-legend Gordie Howe (5%), and jazz-pianist Oscar Peterson (3%).     


Majority (54%) ‘Strongly Agrees’ Educational Institutions Should Work More Closely With Business to Produce Highly-Skilled People Needed to Sustain and Improve Canada’s Economy

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Toronto, ON – As the federal government continues its consultations on the budget, a majority (54%) of Canadians ‘strongly agree’ (95% total) that ‘educational institutions need to work more closely with business to produce the highly-skilled people needed to sustain and improve Canada’s economy’. Furthermore, most (91%) ‘agree’ (44% strongly/47% somewhat) that ‘practical skills training is more important in getting laid-off workers back on the job than theoretical education’.     


In the Lead-up to the 90th Anniversary of the End of the First World War, a Dominion Institute-Ipsos Reid national poll gauges Canadians knowledge of The Great War

Friday, November 07, 2008

Toronto, ON – In the lead-up to the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, a recent Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Dominion Institute reveals that Canadians—in particular young Canadians—lack of basic knowledge about The Great War and are forgetting this important chapter in our country’s history.     


National Poll Gauges Canadians' Opinions on the Importance of Remembrance and the Impact of American Entertainment

Friday, October 17, 2008

Toronto, ON – A new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Dominion Institute has revealed that, despite the prevalence of American culture, history and politics in Canadian society, three quarters (76%) of Canadians ‘disagree’ (32% strongly/44% somewhat) that ‘American history is more exciting than Canadian history’.     


As Quebec City Celebrates 400th Anniversary, Majority (63%) Of Quebecers Believe French Language Needs More Protection In Canada Compared With Only One In Ten (11%) In The Rest Of Canada

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Toronto, ON – As the country gathers to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, a new Ipsos Reid poll finds that Quebecers and those living in the rest of Canada (“ROC”) have differing opinions on the significance of the event, the protection of the French language, and on other key points relating to Quebec’s place in Canada.     


Defining Canada: A Nation Chooses The 101 Things That Best Define Their Country

Monday, June 30, 2008

Toronto, ON– The definitive survey of the people, places, events, accomplishments and symbols that Canadians think define their country, conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Dominion Institute and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, has revealed what Canadians believe are the most defining features of Canada overall.     


Ipsos Reid / Dominion Institute Poll Reveals Order Of Canada Recipients Have A Different Idea Of What Defines Canada

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Toronto, ON – The definitive survey of the people, places, events, accomplishments and symbols that Canadians think define their country, conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Dominion Institute and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, has found that while the general public, immigrants and educators alike label the Maple Leaf as Canada’s most defining entity, members of the Order of Canada say that title belongs to Frederick Banting and the discovery of insulin.     


Canadians Choose The People, Places, Events, Accomplishments And Symbols That Define Canada

Friday, June 27, 2008

Toronto, ON– The definitive survey of the people, places, events, accomplishments and symbols that Canadians think define their country, conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Dominion Institute and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, has found that Canadians have a different idea of what defines their country, depending on where they live. In short, placing at the top of the list in each of their respective categories are:     


Can’t Touch This!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Toronto, ON – It appears that the top of the Egyptian pyramids have piqued (or peaked) the interest of Canadians, according to a new LG Electronics Canada / Ipsos Reid poll. Given the opportunity, and a list of options, nearly half (45%) of all Canadians would most like to touch the very top of the ancient wonder. Perhaps reflective of Canadian heritage, two in ten want to touch the Stanley Cup, and an equal number (18%) would most like to touch the Holy Grail. One in ten (11%) would like to touch the Hope Diamond, while 3% would like to touch Dorothy’s shoes from ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Surprisingly, only 4% would like to touch an Academy Award.     

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