As Remembrance Day approaches, a recent poll indicates that Canada’s military is one of the most trusted institutions in the country. The survey, conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies, reveals that 75 percent of Canadians express trust in the military. Trust in the police is also significant, with 71 percent of respondents indicating confidence in law enforcement. Only 13 percent of Canadians reported distrust in either the armed forces or the police.

This survey comes on the heels of the Liberal government’s announcement of an additional $81.8 billion in defense spending over the next five years, aimed at meeting NATO’s recommended target of two percent of GDP. In contrast, trust in the Supreme Court and the federal government is notably lower. The poll shows that 65 percent of Canadians trust the Supreme Court, while only 47 percent trust the government in Ottawa.

Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Metropolis Institute and the Association for Canadian Studies, noted, "The preoccupation, increasingly so across all demographics, is with security. People are directing more trust in those bodies or institutions that have primary responsibility for protecting us, or ensuring that security is well maintained."

The poll also highlights that trust in the military and police is consistent across various demographics. Among Indigenous respondents, 66 percent trust the military and police. For immigrants, the figures are 70 percent for the military and 75 percent for the police. Jedwab commented, "Despite some individual concerns that people express about instances of potentially excessive behaviours of the police or military, in general, minorities are expressing high levels of trust in those institutions that are mandated with protecting Canadians."

Trust levels vary by province. In Atlantic Canada, 84 percent of respondents trust the military, while British Columbia shows the lowest trust at 71 percent. Jedwab suggested that perceptions of insecurity in Atlantic Canada may contribute to these higher trust levels. He stated, "In areas where the populations perceive themselves as more vulnerable, either geographically or geopolitically or so forth, you’re getting that sort of expression come up."

Younger Canadians, particularly those aged 18 to 24, show lower trust in the military, with only 65 percent expressing confidence. Additionally, 23 percent of this age group reported some level of distrust. When asked about joining the armed forces, only 10 percent of respondents aged 18-24 answered affirmatively, while 21 percent had considered it in the past, and nearly 60 percent said they would not consider it. Jedwab explained this trend, saying, "The younger we are, the less we may … see security as an issue. We may find as a result that we are more likely to question those institutions in terms of the authority they are vested with."

The disparity in trust between the military and the federal government is significant. Trust in the federal government is particularly low in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where only 38 percent trust it, and in Quebec, where the figure is 43 percent. In Alberta, trust levels are similar to the national average at 47 percent. Trust is highest in Atlantic Canada at 56 percent, followed by British Columbia at 52 percent, and Alberta and Ontario at 48 percent.

Jedwab remarked on the broader context, stating, "I think that the current debates they’re having about Alberta’s place in Canada and the separation referendum may be creating some shifts, but we haven’t seen those yet."

He also noted a global trend towards increased trust in police and military institutions, saying, "There’s a real serious concern about security globally."

The online survey included 1,537 Canadians and was conducted between October 24 and 26. While a margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey, a similar probability sample would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent, 19 times out of 20.