Canadians look forward to a wide range of summer activities, most notably visiting another town or city.
June 7, 2021
With the pandemic in its third wave, the fate of a ‘normal summer’ is uncertain. We wanted to understand Canadians’ expectations for this summer, and which summer activity they are looking forward to doing most. Results from our recent survey suggest that just under one-half of Canadians are confident that their province will re-open in time to have a ‘normal summer’, while one-quarter are on the fence (23%), and a similar portion are not confident (26%). Across the country, residents of Quebec (71%) are by far the most confident that their province will re-open in time for summer compared to any other region. Those residing in British Columbia and the Prairies are less likely to express the same optimism. Demographically, residents between the age of 35 to 54 are slightly less likely to express confidence that their province will re-open in time for a ‘normal summer’.
As the summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, Canadians report looking forward to doing a variety of activities. Travel is clearly top of mind for Canadians, with residents most looking forward to visiting another city or town (43%). Others mention they are looking forward to outdoor dining (38%) or barbequing (38%), while outdoor activities such as visiting the beach (35%), hiking (30%) and picnics (28%) are also commonly mentioned.
Although results are generally consistent across the country, there are some interesting differences to note. Quebec residents are more looking forward to outdoor dining, while Nova Scotians are more likely to look forward to visiting the beach, and those residing in the Prairies are more likely to mention concerts or live shows. Activities vary across demographics, with residents under the age of 35 more likely to be looking forward to activities such as swimming, picnics and concerts compared to those 35 and older. Additionally, older residents (55+) are more likely to look forward to outdoor dining and gardening. Women are more likely to be looking forward to picnics and gardening, compared to men. Higher-income earners are more likely to report looking forward to several activities, most notably, visiting another city or town, outdoor dining and visiting the beach.
Results are from an online survey conducted May 19-21, 2021, with 1,232 Canadians 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s Canadian Omnibus. Fielding every month, the Logit Group’s COVID-19 Omnibus surveys Canadians to ask their opinions and behaviours related to topical issues. Results were analyzed by Narrative Research. Data was weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect population characteristics in each province. As a non-probability sample (i.e., a panel sample where residents have joined a panel to share their opinions), and in accordance with CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards, a margin of error is not applied.
Questions included in this release include the following:
- How confident are you that your province will re-open in time to have a more ‘normal summer’? Please use a scale of 1-10 where 1 is ‘not at all confident’ and 10 is ‘completely confident’.
- As the summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, which summer activity, if any, are you most looking forward to doing?
For more information, contact:
Margaret Brigley, CEO, Narrative Research – 902.493.3830, mbrigley@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Margaret Chapman, COO, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a leading public opinion and market research company headquartered in Canada. The company is certified as a WBE (Women Business Enterprise). As a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services. Follow us on Twitter at @EveryNarrative
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented. Follow us on Twitter at @LogitGroup
