Canada Day 2026: Canadians Are Feeling Prouder, More Local, and Ready to Celebrate

With Canada Day tomorrow, July 1, Canadians are preparing for fireworks, family gatherings, community events and, for many, a renewed sense of national pride.

A new survey of 2,000 Canadians by Casino Guru News has found that 91% of Canadians say they are proud to be Canadian, with 53% saying they are very proud and a further 38% saying they are somewhat proud.

The study also found that national pride appears to be moving in a positive direction. Four in 10 Canadians say they feel more proud to be Canadian than they did two years ago, while 22% say they feel less proud.

Key findings

• 91% of Canadians say they're proud to be Canadian.
• 38% say they're more proud than they were two years ago.
• 61% say supporting Canadian businesses is their biggest expression of national pride.
• 67% plan to spend Canada Day with friends or family.
• 58% say freedom and rights best define what it means to be Canadian.
• Older Canadians are the proudest, with 67% of 65–74-year-olds saying they're very proud to be Canadian.

Canadians are feeling proud ahead of Canada Day

The results show a clear sense of national pride across the country, with just 9% saying they are not proud to be Canadian.

More than half of Canadians (53%) say they are very proud, while 38% say they are somewhat proud. Only 7% say they are not very proud, and 2% say they are not proud at all.

This means that, despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures and political debate, pride in Canada remains high heading into the national holiday.

National pride is rising for many Canadians

When asked how their pride has changed compared with two years ago, 38% of Canadians say they feel more proud today.

This includes 15% who say they are much more proud and 23% who say they are somewhat more proud. Meanwhile, 40% say their pride has stayed about the same.

However, not everyone is feeling more positive. 22% say they are less proud than they were two years ago, showing that while the overall picture is upbeat, Canadian identity is still a live and changing conversation.

Generational pride grows with age

While Canadians of all ages report feeling proud of their country, the research suggests national pride becomes stronger with age.

Among Canadians aged 65–74, 67% say they are very proud to be Canadian, compared with 42% of those aged 18–24. Older Canadians are also the most likely to express that pride through everyday actions, with 68% saying they support Canadian brands and businesses, compared with 55% of younger adults.

The oldest age group is also the most likely to celebrate Canada Day with friends or family (74%), while younger Canadians are less likely to do so (62%). However, across every age group, a majority still say they are proud to be Canadian, suggesting that while the ways Canadians express their identity may differ by generation, national pride remains widespread.

Supporting Canadian businesses is the new patriotism

The most common way Canadians say they express national pride is by supporting Canadian brands and businesses.

Overall, 61% selected this as a way they show pride, putting it ahead of travelling within Canada (51%), supporting Canadian athletes or teams (37%) and attending Canada Day celebrations (35%).

This suggests that for many Canadians, patriotism is becoming more everyday and consumer-led. Rather than only waving flags or attending formal events, Canadians are showing pride through the brands they buy, the places they visit and the local businesses they support.

Canada Day is still a family first holiday

For those celebrating, Canada Day looks set to be more about spending time with loved ones than big parties.

The most popular plan is spending time with friends or family, selected by 67% of Canadians. Watching fireworks follows at 37%, while 34% plan to attend a Canada Day celebration or community event.

Another 34% plan to spend time outdoors, whether at a park, beach, cottage or hiking spot, while 19% will host or attend a BBQ.

Only 8% say they do not plan to celebrate Canada Day at all.

Freedom, not hockey, defines modern Canadian identity

When asked what makes them feel most Canadian, the top answer was freedom and rights, chosen by 58% of respondents.

Multiculturalism followed at 46%, while 44% selected Canada’s natural landscapes. Canadian culture was chosen by 39%, and shared values by 35%.

Perhaps surprisingly, hockey was selected by just 12%, the same share as Canadian products. Canadian pop culture ranked lowest, selected by 4%.

While hockey remains one of Canada’s most famous cultural exports, these results suggest Canadians are more likely to define their national identity through values, freedoms, diversity and landscape than sporting stereotypes.

Calgary is Canada’s proudest major city

Among major cities, Calgary stands out as the proudest, with 58% of respondents saying they are very proud to be Canadian.

Calgary residents are also among the most likely to spend Canada Day with friends or family, at 77%.

Toronto also shows strong family-focused celebrations, with 73% planning to spend time with friends or family, while the Greater Toronto Area is the most fireworks-focused region, with 44% planning to watch fireworks.

Vancouver residents are the most likely to take celebrations outdoors, with 39% planning outdoor activities.

Montreal, however, stands apart. 22% of Montreal respondents say they do not plan to celebrate Canada Day, compared with 8% nationally.

Toronto named Canada’s friendliest city

When asked which Canadian city has the friendliest people, Toronto came out on top, selected by 16% of respondents.

Halifax followed with 12%, while Vancouver, Calgary and St. John’s each performed strongly.

However, a notable 22% said they were not sure, suggesting friendliness may be harder to crown than national pride.

Mark Carney named the person who best represents Canada today

When asked which Canadian person best represents Canada today, Mark Carney was the most common answer, selected by 22% after standardising spelling variations.

Terry Fox followed at 8%, with Ryan Reynolds and Drake both selected by 6%.

The mix of political, sporting, entertainment and cultural figures shows how varied Canadian identity has become, with no single celebrity or public figure dominating the national picture.

Conclusion

Ahead of Canada Day 2026, the findings suggest Canadians are feeling broadly proud, increasingly positive and more likely to express patriotism through everyday actions than traditional symbols.

While fireworks, BBQs and community events remain part of the holiday, the biggest story is more personal: Canadians are spending time with loved ones, supporting local businesses and defining national identity through freedom, rights, multiculturalism and the country’s natural beauty.

And while regional differences remain clear, particularly between Calgary and Montreal, the overall mood heading into Canada Day is one of pride, connection and cautious optimism.

Methodology

The survey was conducted in June 2026 among 2,000 completed Canadian respondents.

Respondents were asked about their level of national pride, how their pride has changed over the past two years, what makes them feel Canadian, how they express Canadian pride, their Canada Day plans, the Canadian person they feel best represents Canada today and which Canadian city they consider the friendliest.

Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

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