What makes Canadians proud? History tops the list in latest StatCan survey

OTTAWA – New data from Statistics Canada suggests national pride runs high across the country, even if Canadians don't always agree on what makes them proud.

The national statistical agency says 87 per cent of respondents to the 2013 General Social Survey said they're proud to be Canadian.

StatCan says 70 per cent of those surveyed named Canadian history as the greatest national accomplishment, placing it at the top of the list ahead of the health-care system, the Armed Forces and the Constitution.

Only 46 per cent reported being proud of Canada's political influence in the world, while more than nine in 10 respondents named the Canadian flag and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as the most important symbols of national identity.

The survey also identified certain values that most respondents said were shared among Canadians.

Chief among these were human rights and respect for the law, both of which earned 92 per cent support from respondents.

Only 68 per cent, however, believed respect for aboriginal cultures was a universal Canadian value.

The survey also highlighted regional differences in the importance of national symbols, with residents of Newfoundland and Labrador placing more emphasis on national symbols and people in Quebec showing the least.