National survey shows growing support for reforms to preserve Confederation

March 11, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALGARY — As separatist sentiment resurfaces in both Western Canada and Quebec, a new national survey, commissioned by the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy and carried out by Léger, finds Canadians are more willing to negotiate with Western provinces than with Quebec—and are increasingly open to reforming federal institutions to keep the country united.

Multiple Solitudes: What Canadians think about separatism, political representation, democratic reform, and equalization, released today by the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy, shows that if separatism became a serious threat to national unity:

• 55 percent of Canadians would negotiate with Western demands.
• 49 percent would negotiate with Quebec demands.
• 33 percent oppose negotiations with Quebec, compared with 26 percent for Western provinces.

Growing Openness to Policy Reform

The findings show Canadians are pragmatic about preserving unity—even if it requires significant policy adjustments.

• 43 percent would support reforming federal transfer programs if separatism threatened national unity.
• Only 20 percent oppose reform outright.
• 40 percent became more likely to support reform after learning about large historical net contributions made by Alberta to other provinces.

The West Feels Underrepresented

Perceptions of political underrepresentation are most pronounced in Western provinces:

• Saskatchewan — 51 percent feel underrepresented
• Alberta — 49 percent
• Manitoba — 41 percent
• British Columbia — 38 percent

By comparison:

• Quebec — 25 percent feel underrepresented
• Ontario — 15 percent

Canadians Want Fair Representation

Support is particularly strong for equal representation:

• 66 percent say federal ridings should contain roughly equal populations.
• 37 percent favour redistributing seats within a fixed House size.
• 33 percent favour adding seats to improve fairness.

There is also strong support for reforming the Senate:

• 50 percent support reform.
• 15 percent want it left unchanged.
• 12 percent support abolition.

“These results suggest Canadians increasingly see regional tensions as structural challenges that may require meaningful reform,” said Aristotle Foundation founder and president, Mark Milke. “These findings point to a quiet but consequential shift in public opinion. Canadians want institutions that reflect demographic realities and strengthen national cohesion.”

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted online by Léger from January 27 to February 1, 2026, among 2,710 Canadian adults. A probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of approximately ±1.9 percentage points.

The full report is available at aristotlefoundation.org.

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Media Contact
Dami Itabiyi
Media and Marketing Coordinator
Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy
Dami@aristotlefoundation.org