Most Canadians satisfied with local governments - but don't believe we can influence them
Among big-city governments, Edmonton & Toronto have the best reputations with their citizens
New Canadians at forefront of growing public desire for more engagement with municipalities
TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2019 /CNW/ - Two-thirds of Canadians think highly of their local municipality, and a narrow majority are satisfied with their local government – but only one-third believe they can influence its decisions or direction, according to a new national study of public attitudes about municipal government in Canada.
According to the Argyle Public Relationships Index™, an annual study by Leger Research and the Argyle Group that examines the relationships between organizations and the public, a majority of Canadians agree their municipal governments take care of people who live there. However, fewer than half agree local governments are concerned about ordinary people, and only one-third agree that local governments allow the public to have an influential voice on the direction of their communities.
A clear majority (58 percent) of Canadians are interested in having a relationship with their local government, with this interest soaring to more than two-thirds (68 percent) among people born outside Canada. Among demographic groups, renters are the least likely to have a positive opinion of their local governments.
"Canadians have a strong attachment to places where we live, and we give our local governments passing grades," says Argyle CEO Daniel Tisch. "There's a sense that local governments care for us, but perhaps could care more about us – and give their residents a much stronger voice in the decisions that affect them. This study is a clarion call for more public engagement – particularly from new Canadians."
Canada's top-rated municipal governments: Edmonton and Toronto
Among Canada's largest cities, the winner in the hearts of its own citizens is Edmonton, with 72 percent of residents surveyed having a good opinion of the city, compared with 16 percent with a bad opinion. Edmonton also led the way in perceptions of its local government, with 54 percent holding a good opinion and 23 percent holding a bad opinion. The second-most reputable municipal government is in Toronto, where 50 percent of respondents have a good opinion of their local government, compared with 21 percent with a bad opinion.
City government |
% good opinion |
% bad opinion |
Net reputation score |
Edmonton |
54 |
23 |
+31 |
Toronto |
50 |
21 |
+29 |
Montreal |
44 |
31 |
+13 |
Vancouver |
40 |
27 |
+13 |
Calgary |
39 |
39 |
0 |
Ottawa |
38 |
40 |
-2 |
Canada average |
47 |
24 |
23 |
Atlantic Canadians & Quebecers have the best overall opinions of their local governments
At the regional level, including all municipalities, Atlantic Canadians and Quebecers have the most positive overall opinions of their local governments.
Region |
% good opinion of their local government |
% bad opinion of their local government |
Net reputation score |
Atlantic |
48 |
16 |
+32 |
Quebec |
52 |
21 |
+31 |
Ontario |
45 |
24 |
+21 |
Alberta |
47 |
27 |
+20 |
British Columbia |
44 |
27 |
+17 |
Manitoba/Saskatchewan |
42 |
30 |
+12 |
Canada average |
47 |
24 |
23 |
Local governments take care of us, but do they care about us?
"In the various dimensions of relationship, Canadians give their local governments credit for taking care of people who live there, with Montreal, Edmonton and Toronto scoring highest on this measure," says Lisa Covens, vice president of Leger Research. "Opinions divide on whether local governments and councils are trustworthy, committed to meet public expectations, and concerned about 'people like me.' The greatest opportunity for improvement is in the public's perceived influence on municipal decisions."
Statement |
% agree* (strongly agree in brackets) |
% disagree* (strongly disagree in brackets) |
My local government takes care of people who live there |
57 (11) |
33 (12) |
I am satisfied with my local government |
55 (11) |
35 (14) |
I trust my local government |
52 (10) |
37 (14) |
I trust my city or town council |
50 (10) |
37 (15) |
I believe local government committed to meeting my expectations |
47 (9) |
38 (15) |
My local government is concerned about people like me |
46 (10) |
41 (16) |
I can influence the decisions or direction of my local government |
34 (6) |
55 (23) |
*% Agree = "strongly agree" plus "somewhat agree"; "% Disagree = "strongly disagree" plus "somewhat disagree" |
An opportunity for public engagement – particularly with new Canadians
Canadians believe that having a relationship with their local government is important – and a clear majority (58 percent) are interested in having such a relationship – with interest highest in Ottawa (67 percent), Montreal (63 percent) and Toronto (62 percent). Among demographic groups, interest is highest among new Canadians (68 percent) and property owners (61 percent). Having a relationship with local government makes people more likely to vote (73 percent), feel a sense of belonging (67 percent), comply with by-laws (63 percent), support government decisions (61 percent) and participate in civic engagement (59 percent).
"Canadian municipalities need to listen to and respond to the public desire for a relationship with their local governments – because these relationships are critical to democratic engagement, trust, compliance, and social cohesion," Tisch says.
About the study
The 2019 Argyle Public Relationships Index™ is based on a survey of 1,564 Canadians, completed between July 19-22, 2019, using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb. The margin of error for the study was +/-2.5 percent, 19 times out of 20. Leger's online panel has approximately 400,000 members nationally and has a retention rate of 90 percent.
Public relations research suggests there are six dimensions of relationships between brands and their publics: trust; satisfaction; perceived commitment to meet expectations; caring for customers ("exchange relationship"); concern for people like me ("communal relationship"); and people's perception of their ability to influence the brand. Argyle expresses its appreciation to Dr. Alex Sevigny of McMaster University for his counsel in the development of the model for the study.
About Argyle (www.argylepr.com)
Argyle enables private, public and non-profit sector leaders to understand their publics, make better decisions, communicate with creativity and build the relationships that drive their business success. For 40 years, Argyle has been chosen by some of the world's biggest brands, put big ideas onto the public agenda, and become one of Canada's largest management-owned communications consultancies.
In 2019, the Argyle Group integrated the businesses of Argyle Public Relationships, a national public relations firm, with ChangeMakers, an acclaimed Winnipeg-based creative and social marketing firm, and Context, Western Canada's leader in public engagement and public health programming. Argyle has more than 90 full-time employees in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and Ottawa, with affiliates in Montreal and Quebec City, and in 17 countries around the world.
About Leger (www.leger360.com)
Leger is the largest Canadian-owned polling, research, and strategic marketing firm with 600 employees in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary in Canada, and Philadelphia in the United States. Leger is part of the WIN network partners in more than 100 countries, making Leger not only the largest Canadian-owned company in its sector, but also an internationally recognized brand.
Leger provides its clients with unique expertise in market research and information technology, in addition to business consulting and strategies in the fields of customer satisfaction, positioning, brand management, communication efficiency, corporate reputation, social acceptability, crisis management and customer experience.
SOURCE Argyle Public Relationships
Hailey Mackinnon, Argyle Public Relationships, (416) 968-7311 ext 274, [email protected]
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