A new online poll by INNOVATIVE of 2,390 adults in Canada shows that one year into the pandemic, Canadians are less fearful of COVID and more angry towards their governments and communities.
In April 2020, only 21% of Canadians said they feel angry often or all the time when thinking about government’s response to the pandemic. Now 35% say they feel angry. Over the same period, the share who feel reassured has dropped from 31% to only 19%.
In Alberta, that figure was at 26% in April 2020 and is now as high as 46% while only 11% of Albertans say they often or always feel reassured thinking about how government has responded to the pandemic. Similarly, in Ontario the share of respondents who often or always feel angry has doubled from 21% in April 2020 to 42% now and the share who often or always feel reassured has dropped from 28% to only 11%, with 15% of Ontarian’s saying they never feel reassured.
Anger is also growing towards our neighbours. When asked how they feel about their community, the share of Canadians who feel who feel angry either often or always is up from 23% to 30%. Consistent with the rise in anger, there is an even bigger drop in reassurance. Canadians reporting they feel reassured about their community either often or always has declined from 29% in April 2020 to only 17% now.
Finally, Canadians are less afraid of the COVID-19 outbreak. While 36% said they felt afraid of the outbreak at least often in March 2020, that has declined to 27% this April. While feelings of optimism were increasing last spring rising from 21% feeling optimistic often or all the time in March 2020 to 28% in April 2021. Optimism this April is now down to 24%.
As COVID-19 cases remain high across the country, fear of the outbreak is turning into anger against ourselves and our governments.
For more information and to read INNOVATIVE’s full report and analysis, click here.
