While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Eddie Sheppard.
Over the past year, Canadians have spent a lot of time thinking about their country. Some of that reflection has been driven by challenges. Housing affordability remains a defining concern. The cost of living continues to put pressure on households. Political debates about immigration, identity, and the country’s future have become more intense. Trade tensions and economic disputes with the...
Between May 28 and June 2, 2026, Abacus Data surveyed 1,910 Canadian adults to better understand attitudes towards climate change, federal government performance on the issue, and how Canadians believe climate action should fit alongside economic priorities.
Over the past year, one of the more revealing questions in Canadian politics hasn’t simply been who people support, but what kind of leadership they believe the country needs. When voters talk about politics today, they often focus on policy problems like housing, affordability, or economic growth. But underneath those debates is something more psychological. Leadership is not evaluated in...
Over the past year, Canadians have lived through a steady drumbeat of U.S. tariff threats, economic pressure, and political tension. For some, it fades into the background. For others, it shows up every time they tap their debit card. In our latest research, I wanted to understand not just what people think about trade policy, but how this stretch of...
Abacus Data, in partnership with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), conducted a national survey to understand how Canadians view the housing crisis. This release examines the growing gap between the scale of the problem and the scale of the response, the balance between market and non-market housing, and the policy levers Canadians believe can make a real difference.
Recently, Abacus Data partnered with Colleges Ontario to better understand how Ontarians feel about the future of work, the economy, and the role colleges play in preparing people for change. Ontarians are increasingly anxious about their future. Rising costs, job insecurity, and rapid technological change have created a precarity mindset – a feeling that stability can no longer be taken...
If you want to understand Canada in 2025, don’t look up, look down. Before focusing on ideals like purpose, self-expression or “living your best life,” most Canadians are doing something much more basic: trying to make ends meet and keep their families steady. For the past year at Abacus Data, we’ve described a national mood that moved from scarcity (”Is...
Abacus Data, in partnership with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), conducted a national survey examining how Canadians are navigating today’s housing crisis. This second release in the series explores the state of homeownership as both a personal goal and a social marker, the growing sense of compromise Canadians feel in pursuit of it, and the kinds of housing solutions...
Crime and public safety have quickly become key elements in Canada’s political conversation as Parliament resumes. While the country is not facing a crime wave on the scale of past decades, many Canadians feel less secure today than even a year ago. Concerns about drug use, property crime, and violent offences sit alongside frustrations with homelessness, addiction, and the cost...
As the Liberal cabinet meets this week and Parliament prepares to resume, new polling shows a growing divide between what Canadians want their leaders to prioritize and what they believe Ottawa is actually focused on. Between August 28 and September 2, 2025, Abacus Data conducted a national poll with 1,500 Canadians (aged 18+) to explore whether Canadians feel the federal...
Earlier this year, precarity emerged as the defining mindset across Canada. At a time when housing pressures were mounting, healthcare strains were deepening, and job insecurity lingered, Canadians began to question not just whether they could afford what they needed today, but whether the systems they rely on – housing, healthcare, stable work, even national security – would hold up...
In our second deep dive into Canadian attitudes toward artificial intelligence, we turn our attention to AI’s growing role in the workplace. From July 10 to 15, 2025, Abacus Data surveyed 1,915 Canadian adults to understand how they perceive the impact of AI on their jobs and careers. As AI adoption accelerates across the country, Canadians are experiencing a mix...
Between June 26 and July 2, 2025 (before the Texas floods), Abacus Data surveyed 1,500 Canadian adults to better understand perceptions of climate change. This article looks at how recent extreme weather is raising public concern, even as most Canadians remain focused on everyday issues like affordability and the economy. We explore the public’s call for balance between climate action...
Between May 15 and 21, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 2,273 Canadian adults (18+) to assess awareness, trust, and priorities related to the federal government’s Build Canada plan and the broader state of housing. The results reveal strong demand for more affordable options, flexible financing solutions, and meaningful progress across both market and non-market housing. As affordability pressures...
Between March 20 and 25, 2025, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 2,000 Canadian adults (18+) as part of our weekly election tracking. This wave explores how emotional drivers are shaping vote intentions and leadership preferences in the lead-up to the election. As affordability pressures and global instability dominate public discourse, Canadians are increasingly dividing along two emotional lines...
Between November 6 and 18, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 4,001 Canadian adults (18+) to explore public perceptions of the housing market. Commissioned by Mattamy Homes Canada, this study looks at how Canadians feel about housing affordability, accessibility, and the role of governments, developers, and other stakeholders in addressing the crisis. The findings reveal widespread concern: a significant...
Between March 17 and 20, 2025, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,500 Canadian adults (18+) as part of our weekly election tracking. As part of this, we developed the Abacus Data Precarity Index, a measure used to categorize Canadians based on their level of confidence in the future. The index ranges from those who feel secure and resilient...
We’re at a turning point in Canadian public opinion: once defined by a scarcity mindset—where rising housing costs, healthcare strains, and job insecurity forced many to scramble for essentials—our collective outlook is now shifting toward something else: precarity. While concerns around what is available today still matter, the fear that core systems (healthcare, housing, social services) may fail is raising...
For the past few years, Canadians have navigated a scarcity mindset, shaped by housing shortages, rising costs, strained healthcare, and job insecurity. This competition for essential resources fueled frustration, shifting views on immigration, climate change, and housing, driving many voters away from the Trudeau-led Liberals in search of relief. Now, we see a new mindset emerging – one defined by...
Recently, Abacus Data partnered with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH), and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) to conduct a comprehensive national survey to examine the current state of housing in Canada. This study, which engaged 6,000 Canadian adults (aged 18 and older) and was conducted between September 26 and...
In the wake of Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, David tweeted something that has stayed with both of us: “If voters sense that you don’t like or respect them, it’s very unlikely they will vote for you. 👆 this is essentially politics today.” That sentiment feels even more relevant now, as the dynamics of respect—or...
From November 15 to 19, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,915 Canadian adults (18+) to explore public opinions on the federal government’s proposed emissions cap for the oil and gas sector, set to take effect by 2030. Results highlight a divided public on the federal emissions cap, with support generally split between those prioritizing climate action and...
From October 3 to 9, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,915 Canadian adults (18+) to gauge their perspectives on immigration and its perceived impacts. The results reveal a significant shift in sentiment, with a majority now viewing immigration negatively, largely influenced by political affiliations and age. Concerns extend beyond newcomers, as many Canadians also express concern about...
From October 3 to 9, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,915 Canadian adults (18+) to gauge their perspectives on immigration and its perceived impacts. The results reveal a significant shift in sentiment, with a majority now viewing immigration negatively, largely influenced by political affiliations and age. Concerns extend beyond newcomers, as many Canadians also express concern about...
From June 20 to 25, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,926 Canadian adults (18+) to examine the effects of the current cost of living and housing crisis on young Canadians. Additionally, we present data from our latest political outlook survey, collected between July 16 and 22, 2024, to shed light on recent voting intentions and perceptions of...
From June 20 to 25, 2024 Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,900 Canadian adults exploring several topics related to Canadian politics and current events as part of our regular national omnibus surveys. In this edition, we ask Canadians about the top issues facing the country today, what motivates them to vote, and their reasons for supporting specific parties.
From June 25 and 28, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a survey of 1,000 Albertans aged 18 and over exploring public opinion about provincial politics following Naheed Nenshi’s win as the next leader of the Alberta NDP on June 22. In this report, we share results of our core political opinion questions which we have tracked over time, delve into public...
Between June 6 and 13 2024, Abacus Data conducted a nationwide survey involving 1,550 Canadians (18+) to assess their perceptions of the housing situation in Canada. This survey explores Canadians’ awareness and reactions to the Bank of Canada’s recent interest rate announcement, highlighting demographic disparities in awareness, satisfaction with the rate cut, personal impacts, economic expectations, and political implications. Some...
From April 11 to 16, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a nationwide survey involving 2,302 Canadians aged 18 and above to explore their sentiments regarding the Canadian healthcare system, particularly their confidence in accessing healthcare when necessary. The findings from this study underscore a mounting apprehension among Canadians regarding the accessibility of our healthcare system, particularly given the rapid growth and...
Between January 4 and 9, 2024, Abacus Data conducted a nationwide survey involving 1,500 Torontonians (18+) to gauge their perspectives specific challenges facing Toronto, as well as their perceptions of the importance of police officers in the city and their perception of the city budget. This survey was commissioned by the Toronto Police Association (TPA). As safety and security concerns...