Canadians feel unwelcome in the U.S. as mistrust remains high: new poll
But the poll shows a silver lining in an otherwise gloomy picture of this longstanding national friendship, military alliance, and economic partnership.
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'We just don't trust the motivation behind the re-opening of trade,' Jedwab said. 'We're persuaded we're the kindler, gentler nation, and we're being bullied by their president.'
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Overall, a majority of Canadians feel unwelcome in the United States, the poll suggests. They regard the borders as secure, but 45 per cent of Canadians say the United States is not a trusted security and defence partner, compared to just 32 per cent who say it is.
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The poll also shows Canadians overwhelmingly feel Canada's trade rules for the U.S. are fair, but the U.S. trade rules for Canada are unfair. Fully 75 per cent say American rules governing trade are unfair to Canada, whereas only 12 per cent feel Canada's rules are unfair.
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'I think that trust is the key predictor of Canadians feeling unwelcome in the United States and it also hampers our ability to fix perceived problems between our two countries,' Jedwab said. 'The lack of trust a key indicator in trade negotiations and we will need to build or re-build trust if we re going to succeed. That won't be simple because in effect the U.S. President is not perceived to be a trusted ally by Canadians.'
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Despite all that, the poll also shows a majority of Canadians believe they have more in common with Americans than with any other people in the world.
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This poll was conducted through an online panel survey, so a margin of error cannot be calculated. But a randomized poll of similar size, with 1,579 respondents, would be considered accurate to within 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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