Canadian values

Canadian values are the common beliefs that most people in Canada agree on. Most Canadians accept that many different beliefs can exist together, which shows that Canadian society is open and ready to adapt. Some values are shared by almost everyone in Canada. These include freedom, being treated with worth, respect, equality, and the chance to succeed. These values help bring people together.

Respect for others is a very important value in Canada. It is a big part of what makes Canada special. Except for Indigenous peoples, everyone in Canada comes from families who moved here from other places. Because of this, Canadian values come from many different life experiences and cultures. The Canadian government stands for the idea that the Constitution of Canada should help guide these values and beliefs. Each government promotes the idea that each person is part of the nation not because of their race, but because they live by and follow its laws (it relates to Civic nationalism). They also respect that Indigenous peoples have always lived in Canada.

A 2016 Nanos survey showed that Canadians care a lot about things that protect their personal well-being and help society work better. The survey listed the following key values:

In the past, many Canadians believed it was important to quietly obey and accept the decisions made by people in power, and protect the working ways of government and economy in place. These beliefs came from old traditions passed down from the British Empire, and they stayed strong because people who lost in the American Revolutionary War and stayed loyal to Britain moved to Canada and kept those values alive. The Rebellions of 1837-1838 were an early sign of growing anger against these old traditions and against elites who used the government to protect their safety, power, and wealth. After the Second World War, people's values began to change. More Canadians began to focus on fairness, equal rights, and peace, based on ideas of freedom and democracy. Canadians are also open to changing the rules in the Constitution if it helps them live better. Most people in Canada care mainly about their own well-being. Many feel less connected to the wider society or to the idea of being part of one national group, and they are becoming more attached to small interest groups because overall well-being is low. This happens because benefits and power are not shared equally among provinces, large-scale immigration increases competition for limited opportunities to meet basic needs, groups in power choosing to stay closed to others, and different regions use different languages, together weakening core values. Related changes can be seen in places like Quebec, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Some people in these provinces want to leave Canada and make their own country. Some want to join together as "Western Canada." Others want to become part of the United States. In British Columbia, some people talk about making a new province called Khalistan.

Canadians believe that education and healthcare are important, and they think the government should spend money on services that help people, support growth, and start programs that benefit everyone. In general, there is strong support for public services funded by taxes because they help people do better, keep communities strong, and build a better future. A 2025 survey by Nanos found that 38 percent of younger adults want Canada to spend less on foreign aid, while fewer older adults feel the same. This suggests that many young people feel the country has lost focus on taking care of its own citizens and improving conditions at home. They want the government to use tax money to improve life in a real and lasting way that goes beyond temporary relief, helping Canadians achieve long-term stability before helping other countries.

References

  1. ↑ Douglas Baer, Edward Grabb, and William Johnston, "National character, regional culture, and the values of Canadians and Americans." Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie 30.1 (1993): 13-36.
  2. ↑ Neil Macdonald (September 13, 2016). "A very short list of Canadian values: Neil Macdonald". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  3. ↑ Shared values: The Canadian identity. Ottawa: Privy Council of Canada. 1991. pp. 1+. ISBN 0-662-19173-0.
  4. ↑ Beiner, Ronald (2003). Liberalism, Nationalism, Citizenship: Essays on the Problem of Political Community. UBC Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-7748-0987-0.
  5. ↑ "Exploring Canadian values" (PDF). Nanos Research. October 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  6. ↑ McKay, Ian (2005). Rebels, Reds, Radicals: Rethinking Canada's Left History. Between The Lines. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-896357-97-3.
  7. ↑ Lipset, Seymour Martin (1996). American Exceptionalism: A Double-edged Sword. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-393-31614-8.
  8. ↑ Buckner, P.A.; Foot, Richard (n.d.). "Rebellions of 1837–38". Britannica.
  9. ↑ Bricker, Darrell; Wright, John; Ipsos-Reid (Firm) (2005). What Canadians think- about almost- everything. Doubleday Canada. pp. 8+. ISBN 978-0-385-65985-7.
  10. ↑ Chad, de Guzman. "What to Know About Alberta's Potential Separation From Canada". TIME. Archived from the original on 2025-05-08.
  11. ↑ Fahmy, Gabrielle (2025-03-15). "Some Canadians in Alberta want to join the US as the 51st state". New York Post.
  12. ↑ L. Nicholson, Norman; J. Bercuson, David (2025-05-09). "Canada - Quebec Separatism". Britannica.
  13. ↑ Levinson-King, Robin (2019-10-04). "Wexit: Why some Albertans want to separate from Canada". BBC.
  14. ↑ Bricker, Darrell (2025-01-16). "Four in ten (43%) Canadians age 18-34 would vote to be American if citizenship and conversion of assets to USD guaranteed". Ipsos.
  15. ↑ Research, Nanos (2025-04-24). "Canadians are divided on financial commitments to foreign and humanitarian aid". www.nanosresearch.com.[permanent dead link]