The online survey was conducted in the spring, in collaboration with research firm Pollara, and received 2,224 responses. “We wanted to see … when people had time to reflect and digest what happened, did they still support the goals and methods of the convoy?” said Feo Snagovsky, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alberta. “We found overwhelmingly that they did not.” Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta (Submitted by Feodor Snagovsky) 61 percent of people who responded said they disagreed with the escort’s goals. 67 per cent said they opposed the convoy’s methods, which included closing off the area around Ottawa’s Parliament Hill and blocking the Canada-United States border. Lori Williams, an associate professor of political studies at Mount Royal University, said the research adds to a more nuanced understanding of Albertans’ political views. “In light of recent events – particularly the verbal attack on Chrystia Freeland, the fact that Tamara Lich and others associated with the convoy live in Alberta and are associated with certain Alberta elements – this gives a more balanced picture of where the Albertans are actually all sitting in the convoy,” said Williams, who was not involved in the research.
Political Party
“Many of those who support some of the concerns that have been raised don’t support the tactics.” The survey found that people’s views on escorting differed based on factors such as political affiliation and geography. New Democrat respondents were overwhelmingly opposed to the convoy, while Unionist Conservative Party supporters were more divided. 56 percent of UCP respondents supported the objectives of the convoy and 48 percent supported the methods of the convoy. By comparison, just 14 percent of NDP respondents supported the convoy’s goals and 7 percent supported the group’s means of achieving them.
Urban-rural divide
Protesters against the order maintain a blockade of the Ambassador Bridge border crossing, in Windsor, Ont., on February 11, 2022. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) There was slightly more support for the marchers’ goals in rural areas than in urban areas. Snagovsky noted that this is likely because rural areas tend to be more conservative. “So where you have more conservative identification, more people who see themselves as right of center, you’re also going to have more people who support the convoy,” he said. In Edmonton, 70 percent of respondents said they opposed the convoy’s goals. In both Red Deer and areas outside the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, there was 53 per cent support for these goals. Similarly, when asked about escort methods, 76 per cent of Edmontonians surveyed said they were opposed. But in areas outside the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, there was 55 per cent opposition and 45 per cent support.
Was it a success?
Snagovsky noted that there has been some debate about whether the Freedom Convoy was successful, in part because some COVID-19 restrictions were lifted at the time of February’s protests in Ottawa and the blockade of the U.S.-Canada border in Coutts, Alta. “There was some debate about whether the convoy achieved its objectives or whether it was just a very good time,” he said. But in surveying Albertans, Snagovsky found that just under a quarter (23 per cent) of Albertans surveyed believed the protest was successful, while 58 per cent saw it as a failure and 19 per cent said they did not it was neither. “Based on whether he changed hearts and minds, I think we can conclude that he probably didn’t achieve his goal,” he said. Mount Royal University assistant professor of political science Lori Williams says the research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Albertans’ political views. (Colin Hall/CBC) As ballots are cast in the United Conservative Party leadership race, Williams said the results of this survey could be important to voters and candidates. “[It’s] putting into perspective where most Albertans sit and the need to respond not only to those on, say, the far right end of the spectrum, but as the party leader and premier of the province should represent Alberta as a whole, ” he said. As for Snagowski and his team at the University of Alberta, he said this will be the first in a series of research briefs about the people who supported the Freedom Conversation and how they will engage with Canadian politics in the future. “This group of people is going to play an important role in Canadian politics going forward and it’s important that we start looking at them,” he said.
