[POLL] Biden's visit: the relationship between Canada and the United States is doing very well

and Guillaume St-Pierre MISE À DAY

OTTAWA | Relations between Canada and the United States are doing well, despite the upheavals of the Trump years, and the two peoples are in tune on the issues of the day, including the immigration, according to a survey Léger–Le Journal–National Post.

“There is a love affair between Canada and the United States. The relationship is good and people want to strengthen it,” says pollster Jean-Marc Léger.

His firm interviewed 1,527 Canadians and 1,006 Americans between March 17 and 19. And 90% of respondents in the United States indicated that the relationship between our two countries is good or very good, while 78% of respondents in Canada agree.

Respondents were most positive in Quebec and the Atlantic. Conversely, respondents from the Prairies and those who usually vote for the Conservative Party judge the bilateral relationship more negatively, believing that it has deteriorated over the past decade.

This is also in the prairies and among conservative voters we find the most supporters of Donald Trump's policies, while Quebec respondents are the most hostile to the former Republican president, according to the poll.

More or less useful visit

This sounding was carried out in anticipation of President Joe Biden's official visit to Canada this week. Friday will be the first time an American president has addressed the Canadian parliament since Barack Obama in 2016.

Joe Biden will speak on conquered ground as more than half of Canadian respondents (51&nbsp ;%) have a positive opinion of him. Justin Trudeau, on the other hand, is viewed favorably by only 42% of Canadian respondents.

Respondents, however, see this visit more or less positively. Less than half – 33% in Canada and 41% in the United States – consider it useful.

The fact remains that two-thirds of respondents on both sides of the border believe that the two countries must strengthen their collaboration on economic exchanges, the opioid crisis, the fight against climate change, defense and energy.

At a time when the flow of migrants to our borders is reaching a historic peak, respondents, both American and Canadian, are mostly against the idea of ​​welcoming more. Most are in favor of the status quo and more than a third would like us to receive less.

Helping Haiti

Among the many migrants who flock to our doors, there are a large number of Haitians fleeing the chaos in their country. And, on this subject, both Canadians and Americans believe that it would be good for Canada to take the lead in a humanitarian and security mission on the island.

The Haitian government and the United Nations are calling for the establishment of an international force to support local law enforcement, and Washington has been pressing Ottawa for months to take the lead in such an operation.

But the leader Chief of Staff Wayne Eyre reported last week that the undermanned Canadian military would not have the capability to lead such an operation.