Quebec: Quebecers are the most likely to gossip at dinner parties. More than four in 10 say that friends’ chatter around the table revolves around family gossip, celebrities, or friends who aren’t there. British Columbians, by contrast, are the most weighty in terms of dinnertime conversations, with 68 per cent claiming that discussions are usually focused on current affairs—or so they say.
Ontario: Over 54 per cent of entrepreneurs in the province (and 56 per cent nationwide) believe they’ve had it easy in the recession, saying the downturn has had no effect, or even a positive one on the bottom line. The outlier is Toronto, the country’s financial engine, where only 47 per cent of small businesses claim to have ridden out the crisis without suffering a few bumps along the way.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba: Almost everyone (95 per cent) in Saskatchewan and Manitoba has an opinion on the war in Afghanistan. But 63 per cent say they don’t have a clear idea about what it is all about. The national average is 47 per cent.
Alberta: Albertans proved to be both the most queasy and the most curious during the coverage of the Russell Williams trial. Thirty-four per cent claim to have learned more than they wanted (the national average was 25 per cent). And yet, 12 per cent of Albertans, more than anywhere else in the country, feel that the public didn’t get enough information.
British Columbia: While not especially down about the overall economy, British Columbians are pretty gloomy about the state of their personal finances. Almost 36 per cent say they’re financially worse off than last year, compared to around 27 per cent nationally. And 19 per cent, which is nearly four percentage points above the national average, believe that real estate in their neighborhood will lose value in the next six months.
SOURCES: IPSOS REID, IPSOS REID, ANGUS REID, ANGUS REID, NANOS RESEARCH