Attitudes Towards Remembrance and Veterans’ Week 2018

Supplier Name: Phoenix SPI
Contract Number: 51019-181010-001-CY
Contract Value: $49,478.26 (including HST)
Award Date: 2018-08-30
Delivery Date: 2019-02-05

Attitudes Towards Remembrance and Veterans’ Week 2018 Survey of Canadians

Final Report

Prepared for Veterans Affairs Canada
Supplier name: Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc.
February 2019

This public opinion research report presents the results of a telephone survey of 1,000 Canadians conducted by Phoenix SPI on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada.

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Veterans Affairs Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada at:

Cat. No.: V32-401/2019E-PDF
ISBN: 978-0-660-29192-5

Aussi offert en français sous le titre Sondage sur les attitudes des Canadiens à l’égard de la commémoration et de la Semaine des vétérans 2018.

Executive Summary
Detailed Findings
Appendix
Table of Figures

Executive Summary

Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. (Phoenix SPI) was commissioned by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to conduct a telephone survey of Canadians on issues related to Veterans’ Week and the Department’s remembrance programming.

Background and Objectives

A core responsibility of VAC is post-Confederation military commemoration. VAC ensures that Veterans and those who died in service are honoured and that Canadians remember and appreciate Veterans and those who died in service. The Canada Remembers Program and the Funeral and Burial Program support the departmental results for commemoration and promote the following:

Veterans and those who died in service are publicly acknowledged through ceremonies and events, honours and awards, and the presentation and perpetual care of memorials, cemeteries and grave markers;
Canadians are aware of, and value, the contributions of those who served through a suite of resources that tell the story of our military history and through the provision of funding for community-led commemorative initiatives;
the memory of the achievements and sacrifices of Canadian Veterans and those who died in service is preserved; and
the estates of eligible Veterans have access to financial assistance toward a dignified funeral and burial.

The Attitudes Towards Remembrance and Veterans’ Week survey is a means through which VAC can measure Canadians’ level of participation in remembrance activities, their attitudes toward those who served in Canada’s military and their level of support for VAC's work related to remembrance. The purpose of the quantitative research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Department’s overall remembrance programming. More specifically, the research was designed to:

Understand Canadians' attitudes towards and acceptance of the commemoration of Veterans and their sacrifices and achievements;
Monitor changes in Canadians’ behaviour related to remembrance;
Assess Canadians’ awareness of and pride in Canadian military contributions and the sacrifices of Canadian Veterans;
Identify Canadians’ knowledge of Canada’s military contributions;
Provide VAC with concrete data to assist in performance measurement; and
Assess Canadians’ level of participation (active and passive) in remembrance.

The research results help guide the Department in its planning and programming for the future. The information obtained allows VAC to continue determining the impact and effectiveness of its remembrance activities, adapt activities to be relevant to Canadians, improve the methods used to inform Canadians about remembrance initiatives, and improve future initiatives.

Methodology

A random digit dialling (RDD) telephone survey was administered to 1,000 Canadian residents, 18 years of age or older, between November 12 and 22, 2018. An overlapping dual-frame (landline and cell phone) sample was used to minimize coverage error. Interviewing was conducted by Elemental Data Collection Inc. (EDCI) using Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) technology. A pre-test was conducted in advance of the fieldwork. In all, 20 interviews were conducted during the pre-test, 10 in English and 10 in French. The survey averaged 11 minutes to complete.

Probability sampling was used: a total of 201 interviews were completed with cell phone only (CPO) households from the cell phone sample and 799 interviews with households from the landline sample. The sample frame was geographically disproportionate to improve the accuracy of regional results. The results of the survey can be considered representative of the population of Canadians aged 18 and older. Based on a sample of this size, the overall results can be considered to be accurate within ±3.3%, 19 times out of 20 (adjusted to reflect the geographically disproportionate sampling). The margin of error is greater for results pertaining to subgroups of the total sample.

The survey data has been weighted by region, age and gender to ensure results that are representative of the Canadian population. Population figures from Statistics Canada’s 2016 census data were used to construct the weights.

The table in Annex 1 presents information about the final call dispositions for this survey, as well as the associated response rates. The overall response rate was 6% (8% for the landline sample and 5% for the cell phone sample).

The potential for non-response bias was assessed by comparing the characteristics of respondents through unweighted and weighted data. As is typically the case for general population telephone surveys, older Canadians (those aged 65 and older) were overrepresented in the final survey sample and younger Canadians (those under 30 years of age) were underrepresented. This was corrected with weighting.

Key Findings

Awareness and Importance of Veterans’ Week

Canadians’ awareness of Veterans’ Week and the importance attributed to it remains unchanged from 2017.

Similar to last year, slightly over half (55%) of Canadians said they had heard of Veterans’ Week. This demonstrates no change in awareness since 2016, which is still lower than the high of 66% recorded in 2011. Additionally, the overall importance that Canadians attribute to Veterans’ Week is virtually unchanged from 2017. Nearly nine in 10 Canadians (87%; down from 88% in 2017) think it is important that Veterans’ Week be held each year, with 68% saying that it is very important.

Canadians who said they think it is important that Veterans’ Week be held were asked why they think so. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Canadians said it is important to honour and show respect to Canadian Veterans and those who died in service. Following this, 39% said it is important to focus on our history or remembrance. Very few (8%) said that Veterans’ Week is important because of a personal connection. These same themes have been Canadians’ top reasons for attributing importance to Veterans’ Week over time.

Participation in Veterans’ Week and Related Activities

Participation in Veterans’ Week has increased steadily since 2011 and reached a record high this year. Wearing a poppy continues to be the most popular way to commemorate Veterans.

Nine in 10 surveyed Canadians (92%) said they or members of their immediate family participated in Veterans’ Week.^[1] Since 2011, there has been a steady increase in participation, from 73% in 2011 to this year’s high of 92%. Similar to previous years, practical constraints, such as not having time, were the most common barriers to participating in Veterans’ Week.

Of those who participated in Veterans’ Week activities, almost half (48%) said they did so to honour or show respect to Veterans. Following this, 33% said it was due to personal connections, which includes knowing a Veteran, being a Veteran, or knowing someone who participates in the events. Participating in Veterans’ Week due to personal connection has declined significantly, from 40% in 2017 to 33% in 2018.

The most common form of participation in Veterans’ Week continues to be wearing a poppy, which was cited by 82% of respondents (up from 79% in 2017). Additionally, 72% said they observed a moment of silence (virtually unchanged from 71% last year). Following this, 46% watched a Remembrance Day ceremony on TV, 38% participated in remembrance ceremonies in their communities, and 20% took part in a remembrance-related activity on social media (down from 25% in 2017). Additionally, half of Canadians (52%; up from 2017 in 37%) reported that they or members of their immediate family remembered Canadian Veterans and those who died in service in some way outside of Remembrance Day or Veterans’ Week.

Prioritizing Veterans’ Week Activities

Canadians feel the Government of Canada should prioritize all remembrance initiatives.

Canadians were asked to indicate what priority they feel the Government of Canada should place on various initiatives that recognize the achievements and sacrifices of Canadians during wartime and in peacetime operations. Providing educational materials for schools topped the list at 90% (up from 86% in 2017). This was followed by supporting and leading commemorative events (84%; down from 87% last year) and providing funding for commemorative projects (75%; up from 70% in 2017).

In addition, more than seven in 10 attributed importance to posting remembrance-related content on social media (74%; up from 71% in 2017) and creating remembrance-related ads (72%; down from 76% in 2017). Consistent with previous years, two-thirds (66%) of Canadians attributed importance to the production of promotional materials such as posters and pins.

Attitudes Towards Veterans and Canada’s Military

Canadians’ attitudes towards Veterans and Canada’s military role remain strongly positive.

The vast majority of Canadians think that Canada’s Veterans and those who died in service should be recognized for their service (96%) and that Veterans have made major contributions to our country (93%). Following this, more than four in five (86%) agreed that participation in commemorative activities increases awareness and appreciation for Veterans and those who died in service. Additionally, nearly three-quarters of surveyed Canadians agreed that they make an effort to demonstrate their appreciation to Veterans (74%) and that VAC effectively honours Veterans and those who died in service and preserves the memory of their achievements and sacrifices (73%). With regards to Canada’s military role, roughly four in five (83%) agreed that they are proud of the role that Canada’s military has played in peacekeeping missions and conflicts, while seven in 10 (71%) agreed that they are knowledgeable about the role that Canada’s military has played in the international domain. Canadians’ attitudes towards Veterans and Canada’s military remain strong and virtually unchanged since 2017.

Recognizing Canadian Veterans and Those Who Died in Service

Canadians continue to consider recognizing Veterans and those who died in service as well as commemorating the anniversaries of the World Wars to be important.

Similar to 2017, more than nine in 10 Canadians agreed that it is important that Veterans Affairs Canada recognize and honour Canadian Veterans and those who died in service through the presentation and care of memorials, cemeteries and grave markers (93%) and by providing funeral and burial assistance (91%). In addition, 59% agreed that they are satisfied with VAC’s performance in recognizing and honouring Veterans and those who died in service through the presentation and care of memorials, cemeteries and grave markers, and 52% felt this way about how VAC recognizes and honours deceased Canadian Veterans through the provision of funeral and burial assistance.

With regards to awareness of the anniversaries of the First and Second World Wars, almost two-thirds of Canadians (64%) said they are aware of the 100^th anniversary of the First World War. A strong minority (46%) indicated they are aware of the 75^th anniversary of the Second World War. Compared to 2017, awareness of the World War anniversaries has increased this year. A clear majority (89%) said they find commemorating the World Wars important, with 69% saying it is very important.

Notes to Readers

All results are expressed as percentages unless otherwise noted.
Percentages may not always add to 100 due to rounding.
In graphs:
- “DK” stands for “Don’t know” and “NR” for “No response.”
- Tracking data are presented where available. This survey was not conducted in 2009, 2013, or 2015.
- Values less than 5% are not labelled in the stacked bar graphs.
The number of respondents changes throughout the report because questions were asked of sub-samples of survey respondents. Readers should be aware of this and exercise caution when interpreting results based on smaller numbers of respondents.
Demographic differences are identified in the report. Only differences that are significant at the 95% confidence level and pertain to a sub-group sample size of more than n=30 are discussed in the report.
The tabulated data is available under separate cover.

The contract value was $49,478.26 (including HST).

I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of Phoenix Strategic Perspectives that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not contain any reference to electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leader.

Alethea Woods
President
Phoenix SPI

Detailed Findings

Awareness and Importance of Veterans’ Week

This section explores Canadians’ awareness of Veterans’ Week, as well as their views on the importance of Veterans’ Week and the reasons why they hold these views.

Awareness of Veterans’ Week is unchanged since 2016

Slightly over half of Canadians (55%) indicated that they had heard of Veterans’ Week. Awareness of Veterans’ Week is unchanged since 2016. However, over time, awareness of Veterans’ Week has fluctuated, from a low of 54% in 2008 to a high of 66% in 2011.

Figure 1: Awareness of Veterans’ Week

Awareness of Veterans’ Week

Text Description - Figure 1

Q1: Have you ever heard of Veterans’ Week?
Base: All respondents; 2018 n=1,000

Awareness of Veterans’ Week is higher among residents of Quebec (67%) than among residents of Atlantic Canada (46%) and Ontario (48%). In addition, Canadians aged 45 and older were more likely to have heard of Veterans’ Week than Canadians aged 30 to 44. Specifically, 61% of Canadians aged 65 and older and 57% of Canadians 45 to 64 years of age said they were aware of Veterans’ Week compared to 45% of 30 to 44 year olds.

Majority of Canadians feel Veterans’ Week is important

Eighty-seven percent of Canadians believe that it is important that Veterans’ Week be held each year. Over two-thirds (68%) of Canadians said it is very important. Conversely, very few (3%) Canadians feel that Veterans’ Week is not important.

Respondents were read the following sentence about Veterans’ Week prior to being asked to rate the importance of it:

Veterans’ Week takes place in November each year and ends with Remembrance Day. During this week, commemorative ceremonies and events take place across the country to recognize the achievements of our Veterans and those who died in service. People also take part through things like social media, wearing a poppy, and having discussions with Veterans or military personnel.[2]

The level of importance that Canadians place on Veterans’ Week is virtually unchanged since 2016.

Figure 2: Importance of Veterans’ Week

Importance of Veterans’ Week

Text Description - Figure 2

Q2: How important is it that Veterans' Week be held each year?
Base: All respondents; 2018 n=1,000. DK/NR: 1%

Atlantic Canadians (94%) were more likely than residents of Ontario (87%), British Columbia (85%) and Quebec (83%) to attribute importance to holding Veterans’ Week each year. The likelihood of thinking Veterans’ Week is very important increased with age, from 59% of Canadians under 30 to 76% of those aged 65 and older, and it was higher among women (72% versus 63% of men) and Canadians who have not completed a university degree (72% of Canadians with some university or college and 70% of Canadians with high school or less versus 60% of university graduates).

Veterans’ Week important to honour and respect Veterans

Canadians who said that Veterans’ Week is moderately or very important were asked to give their reasons. Three-quarters (74%) of the explanations focused on the theme of honouring Veterans, or a sense that Veterans have earned respect. Following this, 39% characterized Veterans’ Week as important because of its focus on our history or remembrance. Few (8%) said that Veterans’ Week is important because of a personal connection, such as having a family member who is a Veteran or in the military.

Figure 3: Reasons Why Veterans’ Week Is Important [By Theme]

Reasons Why Veterans’ Week Is Important [By Theme]

Text Description - Figure 3

Q2B: And why do you say it is important that Veterans' Week be held each year?
Base: Those who said it is important; 2018 n=872. (Up to 2 responses accepted)

Compared to 2017, the proportion of Canadians attributing importance to Veterans’ Week because it is important to honour Veterans has increased nine percentage points, from 65% to 74%. Conversely, the proportion of Canadians who said that Veterans’ Week is important because of its focus on our history or remembrance declined, from 52% in 2017 to 39% in 2018.

Figure 4: Reasons Why Veterans’ Week Is Important [Over Time]

Reasons Why Veterans’ Week Is Important [Over Time]

Text Description - Figure 4

Q2B: And why do you say it is important that Veterans' Week be held each year?
Base: Those who said it is important; 2018 n=872. (Up to 2 responses accepted)

When looking at specific reasons^[3] why Canadians attribute importance to Veterans’ Week, the following three stand out in terms of frequency:

To honour/respect Veterans/those who died in service (39%);
To recognize their contribution to our freedom/security/peace (27%); and
So people will remember their sacrifices (19%).

The table below presents the full range of responses, grouped by the themes presented in Figure 3:

Figure 5: Reasons Why Veterans’ Week Is Important [All Responses]

**Reasons Why Veterans’ Week Is Important**
Honour Veterans / Veterans Have Earned Respect
To honour / to respect the Veterans / those who died in service	39%
To recognize their contribution to our freedom / security / peace	27%
Veterans fought for our country / they served our country	14%
To recognize their service / accomplishments	13%
We owe them / they deserve recognition	4%
Canada wouldn't be the country it is today / I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Veterans	3%
Focus on History / Remembrance
So people will remember their sacrifices	19%
Part of our heritage / our history	4%
So children can understand / learn the importance of it	3%
Good idea / good to remember	3%
Should not / cannot forget	2%
So we don't repeat past mistakes	2%
There are fewer Veterans / their story should be told	1%
Many soldiers died in past wars	1%
Focus on Personal Connections
Family member is a Veteran / I am a Veteran	8%
Other
Believe in it / it's important to do it	2%
To show support for our troops (past and / or present)	2%
Forces us to examine war	<1%

Note: Respondents could provide up to two reasons for thinking that Veterans’ Week is important. Therefore, the percentages in the table above for the full range of responses assigned to each theme (e.g., Focus on History / Remembrance) do not necessarily sum to the total percentage for that theme.

There has been one noteworthy change since last year. The proportion of Canadians attributing importance to Veterans’ Week “so people will remember their sacrifices” decreased significantly, from 31% last year to 19% this year. The results for these top responses (over time) are included in Figure 6 below:

Figure 6: Top 3 Reasons Why Veterans' Week Is Important

Top Reasons for Importance of Veterans’ Week Over Time
	2018	2017	2016	2014	2012	2011	2010	2008	2007	2006
To honour / to respect the Veterans	39%	34%	34%	28%	27%	23%	18%	30%	33%	39%
To recognize their contribution	27%	21%	19%	24%	24%	22%	13%	14%	37%	33%
Will remember their sacrifices	19%	31%	20%	25%	25%	27%	14%	17%	33%	39%

Cost-benefit focus is top reason for viewing Veterans’ Week as unimportant

Twenty-eight of 1,000 respondents said they view Veterans’ Week as not very important or not important at all.^[4] The most common explanation among these respondents for finding Veterans’ Week to be unimportant was the perception that a week to reflect about Veterans is too long given Remembrance Day.

Neutrality towards Veterans’ Week due to lack of personal resonance

Almost one in 10 respondents (n=93) indicated that Veterans’ Week was neither important nor unimportant to them. The most common reason they felt this way towards Veterans’ Week was due to a lack of personal resonance—specifically, respondents said that Veterans’ Week is not personally important to them and that they do not know anyone serving, or who served, in the military.

Figure 7 presents a breakdown of the specific reasons Canadians gave for thinking Veterans’ Week is neither important nor unimportant, grouped by theme.

Figure 7: Reasons Why Canadians View Veterans' Week Neutrally

**Reasons Why Canadians View Veterans' Week Neutrally**
Lack of Personal Resonance
Don't care / not important to me personally	27%
Don't have family members who are Veterans / don't know anyone in the military	5%
Cost-Benefit Focus
We already have Remembrance Day / a week is too long	15%
There are other issues / concerns that are more important	10%
Lack of Information / Awareness
Never heard of it / don't know about it	19%
Don’t know what activities there are for Veterans’ Week	7%
Inappropriate Focus on the Past
Happened in the past / we should focus on the present	7%
Most Veterans have died / very few Veterans left	3%
Pacifism
We shouldn't celebrate war / we should focus on peace	6%
Other
It is important / necessary that we have it	13%
Should be a more private ceremony / held less often (so it's not overdone)	1%

Participation in Veterans’ Week and Related Activities

This section explores topics related to Canadians’ participation in Veterans’ Week, including the level of participation, reasons for participation and non-participation, and the activities respondents participated in during Veterans’ Week.

Participation in Veterans’ Week continues to increase

Slightly more than nine in 10 Canadians (92%) said they or members of their immediate family participated in Veterans’ Week.^[5] Since 2011, the level of participation among Canadians has seen a steady increase, from 73% in 2011 to a high of 92% this year.

Figure 8: Participation in Veterans’ Week

Participation in Veterans’ Week

Text Description - Figure 8

Q3: Did you or members of your immediate family participate in Veterans' Week this year?
Base: All respondents; 2018 n=1,000.

Residents of Quebec were the least likely to say they participated in Veterans’ Week (82% versus at least 93% of Canadians in other regions of the country). In addition, participation in Veterans’ Week was higher among Canadians aged 45 and older (96%) than among Canadians under 30 (89%) or between the ages of 30 and 44 (84%).

Honouring Veterans is the main reason Canadians participate in Veterans’ Week

Consistent with 2017, nearly half (48%) of those who participated in Veterans’ Week said they participated to show respect or to honour Canadian Veterans. Following this, one-third of Canadians (33%; down seven percentage points since 2017) participated because of personal connections. Focusing on history and remembrance was mentioned by 16% of Canadians as their reason for taking part in Veterans’ Week. Finally, 13% said they participated in Veterans’ Week because they believe in it or because they view it as important.

Figure 9: Reasons for Participating in Veterans’ Week [Honour]

Reasons for Participating in Veterans’ Week [Honour]

Text Description - Figure 9

Q3B. And why did you or members of your immediate family participate in Veterans' Week?
Base: Those who initially acknowledged participating in Veterans’ Week when asked; 2018 n=464. (Up to 2 responses accepted)

Figure 10: Reasons for Participating in Veterans' Week [Personal Connections]

Reasons for Participating in Veterans' Week [Personal Connections]

Text Description - Figure 10

Figure 11: Reasons for Participating in Veterans' Week [History]

Reasons for Participating in Veterans' Week [History]

Text Description - Figure 11

Figure 12: Reasons for Participating in Veterans' Week [Believe]

Reasons for Participating in Veterans' Week [Believe]

Text Description - Figure 12

The specific reasons Canadians gave for why they participated in Veterans’ Week are presented in Figure 13:

Figure 13: Reasons for Participating in Veterans’ Week [All Responses]

**Reasons for Participating in Veterans’ Week**
Honour Veterans / Veterans Earned Respect
To honour / to respect the Veterans / those who died in service	37%
To recognize their contribution to our freedom / security / peace	7%
To recognize their service / accomplishments	6%
Veterans fought for our country / they served our country	3%
Canada wouldn’t be the country it is if it weren’t for Veterans	1%
Focus on Personal Connections
Family member is a Veteran / I am a Veteran	28%
Know / am related to someone / I am currently in the military	5%
I / someone I know participates in events	2%
Focus on History / Remembrance
So children can understand / learn the importance of it	8%
So people will remember their sacrifices	5%
Good idea / good to remember	4%
Other
Believe in it / it's important to do it	13%
Tradition / habit / we do it every year	4%
To show support for our troops (past and/or present)	3%
Show some (national) pride	3%

Note: Respondents could provide up to two reasons why they participated in Veterans’ Week. Therefore, the percentages in the table above for the full range of responses assigned to each theme (e.g., Honour Veterans / Veterans Earned Respect) do not necessarily sum to the total percentage for that theme.

Practical constraints are the most common reason for not participating

Consistent with 2017, half of those who did not participate in Veterans’ Week (n=517) attributed their lack of participation to practical reasons (i.e., too busy, work or health-related reasons). In addition, approximately one-quarter (23%) said they did not participate due to lack of knowledge or awareness. Similar proportions did not participate because they did not have an opportunity to do so (7%) or because Veterans’ Week did not resonate with them (11%), while fully 5% said they participated in other ways.

Figure 14: Reasons for Not Participating in Veterans’ Week [Practical Reasons]

Reasons for Not Participating in Veterans’ Week [Practical Reasons]