Survey Shows B.C. Believes in Hockey Gold at Olympics

Saturday, January 09, 2010 05:29 AM

Prince George, B.C. A new Ipsos-Reid survey indicates most Canadians (56%) expect the Canadian women’s hockey team to win gold at the 2010 Olympics.

Similarly, about half (49%) of the Canadians surveyed believe that the men’s team will also win gold. Men are significantly more likely than women to believe that Canada’s men team will win gold (55% compared to 43%). Men are also more likely to believe that Canada’s women’s team will win gold (59% compared to 53%).

The perceptions of how the teams will finish vary by geographic region. More than six-in-ten (62%) British Columbians believe the men’s team will win gold, compared to just four in ten (39%) Quebec residents. British Columbians (63%), along with Ontarians (61%) and Albertans (59%), are also the most confident that the women will win gold. The lowest levels of support for the women’s team occur in Quebec and Saskatchewan/Manitoba where 45% of respondents believe that the team will win gold.

An additional one-quarter (24%) believe the men’s team will win silver, 4% expect bronze and 2% expect the team will finish out of the medals (21% have no opinion). For the women, 16% expect a silver medal, 5% bronze and 2% no medal at all (21% have no opinion).

Study author Mark Laver notes “It’s not surprising that expectations for Canada’s hockey teams are high, since it’s the national game. You can see in the data that excitement is building among people in the home province of British Columbians where they are most solidly behind the national team’s quest for gold.”

Previous Story - Next Story