By http://www.ipsos.com/sites/ipsos.com/files/finances/2011-Ipsos-Annual-Report-English_1.pdf, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37139900
OTTAWA — New polling suggests Canadians are feeling somewhat more united than they did seven years ago, even as political rhetoric around separatism remains loud in parts of the country, particularly in Alberta.
The latest findings come from an Ipsos Confederation Stress Test survey, which shows several measures of national division and regional dissatisfaction have eased since 2019.
According to the poll, 55 per cent of Canadians now say the country is more divided than ever, down from 60 per cent following the 2019 federal election. Nationally, 27 per cent say their province does not get its fair share from Confederation, compared with 35 per cent seven years ago.
In Alberta, where perceptions of alienation have historically run higher, the shift is more pronounced. About seven in 10 Albertans now say the country is more divided than ever, down from roughly eight in 10 in 2019. The number who say the province does not get its fair share from Confederation has dropped to 51 per cent, compared with 65 per cent in 2019.
Support for separation has also softened, according to the survey, despite increased public discussion around independence in recent years.
Jack Gregory, senior vice-president of public affairs at Ipsos, said the results were somewhat surprising given current debates over Alberta’s place in Confederation.
“We’ve been tracking this for a while… and what we found when we looked at it this year was that some of these measures are actually down,” Gregory said, referring to perceptions that Canada is more divided or that provinces are being treated unfairly.
He noted the 2019 polling came during a period of heightened tension, shortly after a federal election in which Conservatives failed to win seats west of Manitoba, alongside ongoing debates over energy development and other national issues.
While dissatisfaction remains higher in Alberta than the national average, Gregory said the intensity appears to have eased compared with seven years ago.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said frustrations with the federal government remain, arguing planned referendum questions on provincial issues are aimed at strengthening Alberta’s position in negotiations with Ottawa.
Smith has said many Albertans feel they pay significant taxes to the federal government while not receiving proportional benefits in return.
The Ipsos survey was conducted online between Jan. 9 and Jan. 14, 2026, among 2,000 Canadians aged 18 and older, including a sample of 500 Albertans. Ipsos says the poll carries a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points nationally and 5.4 points in Alberta, 19 times out of 20.
The findings suggest that while political debate around national unity remains intense, overall perceptions of division and unfair treatment have declined since 2019.
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