Trust in governments shows signs of life as pandemic starts to fade

An annual survey on how trusting Canadians are suggests their faith in governments is rebounding as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to fade.

An annual survey on how trusting Canadians are suggests their faith in governments is rebounding as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to fade.

The 2023 CanTrust Index published by Proof Strategies surveyed 1,502 adults online between Jan. 5 and Jan. 13 but cannot be given a margin of error because internet polls are not considered random samples.

Last year's survey suggested after two years of pandemic anxiety, lockdowns and ricocheting COVID-19 rules, trust in governments had plummeted to new lows with just 22 per cent of those surveyed saying they trusted governments.

This year that rose to 37 per cent, the highest it has been in this survey since 2018.

"I think we're kind of getting back to a more normal Canada," said Proof CEO Bruce MacLellan.

"And you know, nowadays it's not common to find increases in trust in a trust survey, so it's definitely a good sign."

He said what struck him from the results is that Canadians don't think very highly of political parties.