With the coronation just weeks away, poll says Canadians are split on dropping the Royal Family
CBC
The coronation of Canada's new King is less than two months away and the country is split up the middle on whether it's time to cut ties with the Crown, a new poll suggests.
A Leger survey of 1,544 Canadians found 56 per cent of respondents agreed the country should "reconsider its ties" to the monarchy now that there's a new sovereign.
That number was higher in Quebec, where 71 per cent of respondents said there should be some constitutional soul-searching about the Crown.
People in Ontario (53 per cent) and B.C. (52 per cent) were more likely than other regions to say King Charles and his heirs should maintain their current role in our system.
Barbados dropped its relationship with the monarchy last year and became a republic — a decision that gave hope to anti-royalists in other Commonwealth realms.
That sort of move couldn't happen quite so easily in Canada.
Canada's Constitution demands unanimity on the question — the House of Commons and Senate and all 10 provinces would have to agree on a different system.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said there's no appetite for that sort of protracted constitutional battle. Whether he's loved or not, Charles is likely here to stay.
But it's clear that many Canadians just don't think about the Royal Family all that often.
The poll found that 67 per cent of respondents feel "indifferent" to Charles's new role. Only 12 per cent said it's "good news" that he's Canada's new head of state. About 14 per cent said it's "bad news" that Queen Elizabeth's eldest son has assumed his birthright.
About 80 per cent of respondents said they're not "personally attached" to what Leger describes as the "British" monarchy.
While claiming they don't give it much thought, the poll also found that 47 per cent of those surveyed are aware Charles's coronation will take place on May 6. About 40 per cent said they'll consider watching TV coverage of the event, which will be broadcast around the globe.
That relatively high level of awareness may be fuelled by Prince Harry's book tour and the tabloid fodder he and his wife, Meghan, have generated in recent weeks.
There are questions about whether the California-based couple will attend Charles's big day after a public spat with other members of the family.
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