Arctic a Top Foreign Policy, Environmental Issue, Canadians Say

A new survey found a surprising consensus among Canadians on Arctic issues.

As any beer commercial can tell you, Canadians agree on three things: hockey, drinking, and our love of “the Great White North.” An EKOS poll has found what researchers say is “a surprising level of consensus” that indicates Canadians feel the Arctic is key to our national identity, that it should shape our foreign policy, and that environmental issues are the region’s primary concern. Opinions among northern and southern Canadians were remarkably similar, with the major difference being that those living in the North were more concerned about the region’s poor infrastructure. The study also polled residents of the U.S., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden, and found that Canadians are the least willing to compromise on Arctic issues.