New poll findings

Canadian Heritage Society reported that there is a growing rift between English-and-French Canadians in attitudes and opinions toward official languages and bilingualism.

To those who still hold the view of Canada as a tolerant society, they were alarmed to know that the findings showed clearly that there is lack of interest among both minorities and majorities in learning about minorities in other parts of Canada. English Canadians disagreed with separate statements indicated an interest in knowing more about Francophones in Quebec. Meanwhile, French Quebecers did not show much interest in their Francophone counterparts living outside Quebec. English-Canadians showed lukewarm support for the country having two official languages of English and French.

After two years of trade war, America will finally settle the problem of the Canadian lumber trade. The new agreement, retroactive Dec. 6, when finally signed will give Canada duty-free access to 31.4 percent of the US market. This is the first major move to indicate that the almost three years of troubled relations, Canada and US are ready to end the softwood war. It is the largest and most complex trade dispute between the two largest trading partners in the world.

The softwood lumber dispute affected British Columbia’s resource-dependent towns, led to mill closures, curtailments, job loss and insecurity for 270,000 British Columbians who depend on the industry for employment.

Canadians really enjoy doing research so we’re regularly fed with new poll findings. Here are some new ones:

• Bureau of Broadcast Measurement statistics indicated that Canadians are overwhelmingly loyal to Canadian news and public affairs, which they watch more than any other single category of programming. The second most popular category is US drama. And as expected, Canadians prefer Canadian sport to any other, meaning that hockey is king. Overall, Canadians still spend a lot of their spare time watching television but TV watching has not increased in the past four years.

The average Canadian spends 21.6 hours a week in front of the television. Quebec Francophones watch more than other Canadians (23.8 hours a week) while Quebec Anglophones watch the least. It was a surprise to learn that children and teens are spending two fewer hours in front of the tube each week than they were five years ago which could mean other or new viewing alternatives.

• Environics Research Group reported that more than 40 percent of Canadian men polled, aged 40 to 49 have had sex in an automobile. The poll also found that Canadians in their 20s are less likely to have had car sex than men in their 40s. The survey was designed to examine how Canadians interact with their vehicles. It is common knowledge that cars have become mobile family rooms, complete with modern audio-visual facilities so cars have created lovers’ lanes, road trips across country and road clubs.

• Canadians will spend more this Christmas if we’re to believe the Leger Marketing survey. The results indicated that Canadians plan to spend an average of $575 on gifts during the holiday season. The figure is down $20 from a similar poll conducted in 2001. Amongst Canadians, the most spendthrift shoppers live in Atlantic Canada.

• The report "Where to Work in Canada: An Examination of Regional Differences in Work-life Practices" revealed that British Columbian workers are the quickest in Canada to avoid family life in order to concentrate on self-improvement to build buff minds and bodies.

• This fascinating report reveals a striking contrast between the lifestyles/attitudes of working Canadians and their ability to manage the demands of work and home in Canada’s five major regions, namely, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and British Columbia.

Ontarians are said to work long hours and are the highest paid in Canada, but are also the most unhappy, depressed, least satisfied with their jobs and the most likely to want to quit. Sounds like New Yorkers to me. The East Coast, also work long hours but are the happiest. B.C. has the highest number of single, childless workers who have few family demand and invest more time in taking courses, leisure and fitness.