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Or sign-in if you have an account.In Alberta and across the rest of the country, pride in Canada and provincial identity does not appear to compete. Photo by Gavin Young/PostmediaAlbertans are the least likely Canadians to put their province ahead of the country, even as Alberta heads to a fall referendum on separation, according to a new poll.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe Leger survey conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) found 34 per cent of Albertans said they identify more strongly with their province or region than with Canada. In a similar ACS survey a year ago, the figure was 45 per cent. Alberta was the only region where it fell, and a majority (59 per cent) rejected the idea.“I would have expected the opposite. I would expect Albertans to say they more strongly identify with their province or region than with Canada,” said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies. The result surprised him more than any other finding in the survey.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againBritish Columbians were the most likely of any region to put their province first, at 66 per cent, up sharply from 35 per cent a year ago. Jedwab said identification with province or region climbed across the country over the past year everywhere but Alberta. The poll found that 60 per cent of Quebecers and 58 per cent of Atlantic Canadians identify more strongly with their province or region, followed by 53 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and 42 per cent in Ontario.Jedwab said he sees the Alberta result as a reaction to the separation debate. “I think what we’re seeing in this survey is some kind of pushback, where people are saying, ‘No, we’re not, we are strongly attached to Canada,’” he said.Alberta will not vote on separating in October, but on whether the province should “commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.”“It’s the referendum about the referendum,” Jedwab said.Across the country, pride and provincial identity did not appear to compete. Pride in being Canadian held at 86 per cent, near the high end of what the ACS has tracked over the years, and stayed about as strong among the people who identify most with their region. “The vast majority of Canadians don’t see the two in contradiction,” said Jedwab. The friction with the United States that began last year has also pushed pride up, he said.The poll found that 91 per cent of B.C. respondents are proud to be Canadian, tied with people in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Alberta, 88 per cent are proud Canadians, followed by Ontario (87 per cent), Atlantic Canada (83 per cent) and Quebec (81 per cent).Pride also rose with age. Among Canadians 65 and older, 74 per cent strongly agreed they were proud to be Canadian, against 35 per cent of those aged 18 to 24, though overall agreement was similar across age groups (92 per cent for those over 65 strongly or somewhat agreed, compared to 82 per cent for the youngest cohort). “It’s like a fine wine, it grows with age,” said Jedwab.Pride ran high among newcomers and Indigenous respondents as well. The poll found that 84 per cent of people born outside of Canada are proud to be Canadian, while 87 per cent of people born in Canada and 82 per cent of Indigenous respondents agreed.The poll also found that French speakers were far more likely (69 per cent) than English speakers (39 per cent) to identify with their province over the country. Quebec votes Oct. 5, and Jedwab said the provincial party leading the polls there, the Parti Québécois, is advocating for separation.The online survey of 1,518 Canadians was conducted June 5 to 7. A margin of error cannot be associated with a panel survey, but a probability sample of the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.