Proudly Canadian: Survey reveals what we love about Canada and why

TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Seventeen years after it became a popular beer commercial slogan for its nationalist sentiment, "I am Canadian" carries more pride than ever, it seems. According to a recent Ebates.ca poll, 94 per cent of Canadians agree strongly (59%) or somewhat (35%) that Canada is the best country in the world in which to live. And when it comes to what others may think of us, 98 per cent agree strongly (61%) or somewhat (37%) that people in other countries hold a favourable impression of Canadians. That may be – but what 85 per cent of Canadians know for sure is that this year marks the country's 150^th birthday, and two thirds of Canadians say they will definitely or probably plan on doing something special, including participating in local Canada Day events such as fireworks (63%), attending a Canada Day party (48%), visiting a Canadian national park (33%) and travelling within Canada (32%).

Great White North
Home is where the heart is, and what Canadians most enjoy about where they live is being close to their family and friends, followed by proximity to nature, parks and the outdoors. And while they appreciate many things about Canada, our healthcare system (55%), national and provincial parks (49%) and Canadian politeness (48%) top the list, followed by cultural diversity (45%), our abundant natural resources (44%) and Canadian foods such as maple syrup and poutine (36%). Surprisingly, hockey (30%) just edged out Canadian weather (28%).   

A Season For All
Speaking of weather, it's no surprise that summer wins hands-down as Canada's favourite season, with 57 per cent rating it number one. We definitely enjoy our great outdoors and, in terms of spring and summer activities, hiking (39%), camping (35%), watersports like swimming or boating (32%) and cycling (26%) are top of the list.

However, the vast majority (88%) of Canadians say they enjoy the fact that Canada has distinct seasons, even though 86 per cent say they have to spend more on their wardrobe because of it. In fact, on average, they say they spend $353 more per year on their wardrobe because of Canada's seasons. Men spend slightly more ($362) than women ($340), and Quebecers spend the most ($387) while those in Atlantic Canada spend the least ($300).

"It's interesting to see that Canadians love their seasons, but that they also acknowledge that this brings more expenses," says Belinda Baugniet, Director of Marketing, Canada. "In the face of these increased seasonal expenses, Canadians are still shopping smart."

In fact, many Canadians get creative and employ a range of strategies to help keep their shopping costs down, including:

• Waiting for sales before buying 65%
• Purchasing during end-of-season or off-season sales 61%
• Comparing prices before buying 55%
• Shopping online 34% (climbs to 42% among those under 45)
• Buying items for multiple seasons 31%
• Buying multi-use items 28%
• Monitoring sales online via email notification or social media 27%
• And buying in bulk 10%

"Many Canadians are comparing prices before buying and using shopping online to keep their costs down. Ebates.ca takes it a step further by allowing Canadians to earn Cash Back on their online purchases," adds Baugniet.

When it comes to shopping homegrown brands, Canadians think the following retailers/brands are most iconically "Canadian": Canadian Tire 40% (which ranked first in every region of the country, except the West where it is tied with Hudson's Bay), Hudson's Bay (29%), Roots (13%,) and Canada Goose (9%).

Fun Facts
Every country has its stereotypes that people associate with it. Canadians say the stereotypes about us they are most fond of include our uniquely Canadian wildlife such as the beaver, loons and moose (21%), maple syrup (19%), the expression "eh" (18%), Tim Horton's (18%) and poutine (13%). Each region has its particular favourite:

• Western Canada – Canadian wildlife
• Ontario – "eh"
• Quebec – maple syrup
• Atlantic Canada – Tim Horton's

On the other hand, it's equally true that these types of stereotypes can sometimes be annoying:

• The expression "eh" 28% (universally annoying across the country)
• Igloos 24%
• Canadian tuxedo 16%
• Canadian "funny money" 13%

About the survey The Ebates Canada survey was conducted online in early May 2017 with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Canadians. A sample of this size is accurate to within +/-3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About Ebates Inc. The Ebates brand supports a strong community of millions of savvy shoppers around the world. Ebates.com was founded in 1998 and has paid over $300,000,000 in cash to its global members. In 2012, Ebates began international expansion with the launch of Ebates Canada, specifically designed by Canadians for Canadians. Ebates.ca membership is free. To earn cash back, online shoppers log in to Ebates.ca and click through to a partner retail site to complete their purchase. Ebates.ca then tracks the purchase and offers back in cash a percentage of everything bought. Every quarter, Ebates.ca sends members their cash back account balance in the form of a #BigFatCheque or #BigFatPayment through PayPal. Members also have the option to send their cash back to a designated charity.

SOURCE Ebates Canada

Tara Bolger, 647-228-3944, [email protected]