- INDEPTH: Canada Day 2003 Survey
But if you live in the Atlantic provinces, Saskatchewan, Manitoba or Quebec, forgo the beer and hit the books. Your province scored as low as 39 per cent.
Keep in mind, however, the top provincial score was Alberta's 60 per cent – not exactly an 'A' grade.
Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute
Overall, however, a new poll suggests about 50 per cent of Canadians could use some brushing up on their recent history.
The poll is part of an annual one conducted for the Dominion Institute, a group that seeks to promote Canadian history.
It was conducted by Ipsos Reid, which asked 1,055 Canadians 10 questions about recent history. The margin of error is 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
The questions asked included (correct answer and percentage who got it right in brackets):
- What weapon did Canada fight to ban? (landmines, 77%)
- What was D-Day? (Invasion of France, 53%)
Four out of 10 could name two peacekeeping missions Canada has been involved in since 1990.
One Canadian historian thinks the results show Canadians have become complacent about their role in the world, particularly because they reside next to a superpower.
"What can we do about U.S. foreign policy? Not that much. They're the leading world power; we live right next to them," said Margaret MacMillan.
"It may not be a good thing but it may be that we have other things to worry about."
Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute, said Canadians need to know their role on the world stage.
"We're worried about the seeming decline of Canadian influence," Griffith said. "If we don't know where we've been together as a country abroad, how can we know what our future is in international affairs? I think we need to connect those dots."
The poll showed up an age gap. Most over age 35 passed, but only 38 per cent of younger adults did.
