Prepared for the Privy Council Office (PCO)
For more information on this report, please contact: POR-ROP@pco-bcp.gc.ca
This public opinion research report presents the methodology for the conduct of an online survey conducted by Ekos Research Associates Inc. on behalf of the Privy Council Office (PCO).
Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Comprendre les propriétaires d'armes à feu : rapport méthodologique
This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from PCO.
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, 2025
Ekos Research Associates
Contact: Susan Galley
Ottawa Office
359 Kent Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0R6
Tel: (613) 235 7215
Fax: (613) 235 8498
E-mail: pobox@ekos.com
The Privy Council Office (PCO) is the hub of non-partisan, public service support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet and its decision-making structures. Led by the Clerk of the Privy Council, PCO helps the Government implement its vision and respond effectively and quickly to issues facing the government and the country.
In 2020 the Government of Canada announced a ban on over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms as part of its broader efforts to address gun violence. The ban includes a range of legislative and regulatory initiatives, along with programs to support in efforts to reduce the number of prohibited firearms. One such program involves market rate compensation to owners for the surrender of newly prohibited firearms, with an added top up incentive for early participation.
The program is designed to reduce the number of newly prohibited firearms in Canada, with the least cost. The program's success is dependent on firearms owners' awareness and understanding of the program and how it works, along with positive perceptions about the program and why it makes sense from the perspective of public safety. The Government of Canada believes it is unlikely to be the most trusted messenger with individuals who own assault-style firearms. As such, the program faces a risk of non-compliance stemming from psychological, physical, and logistical barriers. A deeper understanding of the various motivations of owners (financial, cultural, recreational, safety-driven, etc.) will help the Government to address these barriers.
The goal of the Understanding Firearms Owner survey is to provide PCO - the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU), and Public Safety (PS) with research-based information on Canadian firearms owners' experiences, motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours relating to firearms ownership and associated government regulations. This will support the development of Government communications to facilitation firearms owners' participation in the buy back program to help maximize the number of firearms disposed of for the least cost. Topic areas include:
Understanding the most effective, behaviourally-informed communications strategy, including effective messaging and strategic partnerships for communicating to firearms owners about the program, will be important in the program's efforts to increase compliance and maximize the number of firearms disposed of for the least cost. Insights generated from this quantitative study will enable the Government of Canada to further develop and refine policy, programs, and communications and design elements relevant to this compensation program.
The target audience for this study is adult firearms owners in Canada 18 years of age and older, including Canadian citizens and permanent residents., aiming for appropriate representation of the population of firearms owners[1] based on the provincial/territorial, as well as by the urban/rural split and by age and gender.
The survey, collected in December 2024, includes 1,712 respondents. On average, 148 questions were posed to each respondent. The average length of the survey was 25 minutes collected online (41 minutes collected by telephone), with a response rate of 24%. The survey sample relied on Ekos' Probit panel, which is assembled using a random digit dial process for sampling from a blended land-line cellphone frame and provides full coverage of Canadians with telephone access. The final sample mirrors the population of firearms owners in Canada, with the exception of some under representation of those living in Quebec, owners under the age of 35, and urban dwellers. Weights were applied to correct for this.
Appendix A provides the details of the methodology for the survey. The questionnaire can be found in Appendix B.
The contract amount for this project was $99,976.75 (including HST).
I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Ekos Research Associates Inc. that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.
Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.
Signed by Susan Galley (Vice President)
Data for this national, bilingual survey of Canadian firearms owners 18 years of age and older was collected between November 30 and December 17, 2024. The survey took an average of 25 minutes to complete online, although roughly 10% of the sample elected to complete the survey by telephone at an average of 41 minutes. Once informed about the objectives and conditions of the survey (e.g., confidentiality), respondents indicating they owned one or more firearms were asked to satisfy a firearm knowledge question to qualify for participation in the survey. On average, 148 questions were posed to each respondent. The final sample includes 1,712 firearms owners randomly selected from Ekos' Probit panel, with cases representing all provinces and territories in Canada. The associated margin of error is up to plus or minus 2.3%, at a .95 confidence interval (i.e., 19 times out of 20).
PCO provided Ekos with the final English questionnaire for the survey, including a detailed introduction and consent to participant question. This informed potential respondents the study sponsor; objectives and benefits of the research; eligibility criteria; incentive for participation; voluntary and confidential nature of the survey and treatment of data; contact information to address questions; Ekos and Government of Canada privacy policies; and, that the study has been reviewed by Veritas Independent Review Board, prior to asking for informed consent.
Following the informed consent, two screening questions were posed to establish eligibility to participate in the survey:
Those indicating that they own a firearm and that rule "A" refers to assuming that every firearm is loaded were found eligible to participate in the survey. All others were thanked for their time and dismissed from the survey.
Ekos was responsible for translating, programming and testing the questionnaire. The pretest was completed with 44 respondents (35 in English, 9 in French) to ensure there were no technical issues with access, programming logic, or clarity of the questions or terminology. This was determined through a diagnostic battery of questions enabling respondents to provide an assessment of the clarity and flow of the questionnaire, along with any final comments about the survey. The questionnaire was finalized in consultation with PCO.
The final questionnaire was administered to the full sample using a bilingual e-mail invitation and a bilingual questionnaire, installed on a web-server controlled by Ekos. The e-mail invitation included a description of the survey (in both languages) along with a link to the survey website. When respondents clicked on the survey link, they were taken to a website containing the survey instrument. Once inside the survey, the respondent had the choice of completing the questionnaire in French or English (and they could change the survey language between French and English at any time). The survey database was mounted using a Personalized Identification Number (PIN), so only individuals with a PIN were allowed access to the survey (the PIN was included in the e-mail invitation). The PIN also allowed respondents to exit and re-enter the survey at any time to complete or change information before the questionnaire was completed/submitted.
Survey data collection adhered to the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research—Online Surveys, as well as all applicable industry standards. Ekos informed respondents of their rights under the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act and ensured that those rights were protected throughout the research process. This included: informing respondents of the purpose of the research; identifying both the sponsoring department and the research supplier; informing respondents that their participation in the study is voluntary, and that the information provided would be administered according to the requirements of the Privacy Act.
Both the e-mail invitation and the survey instructions included an e-mail address and a 1-800 number that respondents could use in the event that there were questions about the study or completing the questionnaire.
In order to increase the response rate to the surveys, all non-respondents were sent up to four bilingual reminder e-mails, emphasizing the relevance and importance of the survey, and asking them to take the time needed to participate. In addition to a lottery incentive, an individual incentive of $15 was offered to those between the ages of 18 and 34 as well as to residents of Quebec, in an effort to increase response from these harder to reach groups. Some of our non-responding panelists (those aged 18-34, certain oversample groups, and other target groups who did not respond after the reminder emails) were also called by an interviewer from our call centre to remind them about the survey, and re-send the survey invitation if needed. A small sample of those contacted elected to complete the survey by telephone.
The sample for the survey was drawn from Ekos' in-house probability-based panel, Probit. Probit is a research panel that has been designed by Ekos to provide statistically representative data. Our online panel offers complete coverage of the Canadian population (i.e., Internet, phone, cell phone), random recruitment (in other words, participants are recruited randomly, they do not opt themselves into our panel), and equal probability sampling. All respondents to our panel are recruited by telephone using random digit dialling and are confirmed by live interviewers.
Our panel is considered to be probability based as it is recruited from random digit dial (RDD) sample, both landline and cell phone. The overall panel size is roughly 135,000 Canadian households. Random stratified samples are drawn from the panel database for individual research assignments.
The unweighted distribution of the sample is presented in the following table in terms of province/territories (combined), the urban versus rural split, as well as by age and gender. The population of Canadian firearms owners is also presented based on RCMP data for firearms licenses in Canada. As shown, there is a modest under representation in the sample of owners who reside in Quebec, those living in urban areas, and those under 35, with a slight under representation of women.
| Sample Segment | Sample Size | Sample Distribution | Population Distribution[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1712 | ||
| Region | |||
| British Columbia | 249 | 15% | 15% |
| Alberta | 279 | 16% | 15% |
| Saskatchewan | 104 | 6% | 5% |
| Manitoba | 90 | 5% | 4% |
| Ontario | 537 | 31% | 28% |
| Quebec | 268 | 16% | 21% |
| NS & PEI | 71 | 4% | 3% |
| New Brunswick | 49 | 3% | 3% |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 34 | 2% | 3% |
| Territories (Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon) | 31 | 2% | <1% |
| Type | |||
| Urban | 945 | 55% | 64% |
| Rural/remote | 756 | 44% | 36% |
| No data | 11 | 0.6% | |
| Age | |||
| 18-34 | 225 | 13% | 17% |
| 35-44 | 262 | 15% | 18% |
| 45-54 | 345 | 20% | 18% |
| 55-64 | 390 | 22% | 19% |
| 65+ | 490 | 29% | 28% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 1444 | 84% | 85% |
| Female | 218 | 13% | 15% |
| Other/No response | 50 | 3% | |
A Random Iterative Method (RIM) weight was calculated using crosstabulation software to correct for response bias between the population distribution of the final sample and population estimates. To calculate a RIM weight, crosstabulation software reconciles the differences between the sample and the target distributions across a user-defined set of, typically demographic, variables through a series of random iterations, until it arrives at a weighting factor for each record that adjusts the population distribution of the data file to most closely match the target population. Population data for the current survey relied on firearms license data maintained by the RCMP.
Once the survey data was collected, the database was reviewed for data quality. Coding of open-ended questions was also completed. Survey results were weighted based on RCPM population data for firearms owners residing in Canada based on licenses registrations for those 18 or older. Based on an analysis plan provided by PCO, Ekos provided results for the survey in the form of Excel data tables and SPSS files.
The response rate for the survey was 24.2%, using the formula recommended by the Government of Canada: Response Rate = R/(U + IS + R).
Online, a total of 27,488 email invitations were sent, of which 2,600 were returned as undeliverable, for a resulting valid sample of 24,888. A total of 1,515 valid cases completed the survey and combined with another 4,684 respondents who were screened out of the survey as ineligible[3], as the responding numerator in the calculation of the response rate (24.9% of those invited online).
Among 4,213 individuals reached by telephone, 196 could not be reached, resulting in a valid sample of 4,017. Of these, 197 completed the survey and 599 were not eligible to participate, resulting in a response rate of 19.8% among those attempted by telephone.
| Result | Online | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Total Invited | 27,488 | 4,213 |
| Invalid | 2,600 | 196 |
| Unresolved (U) | 18,519 | 3,218 |
| In-scope non-responding (IS) | 170 | 3 |
| Responding units (R) – Ineligible | 4,684 | 599 |
| Responding units (R) – Completed | 1,515 | 197 |
| Response Rate (R/(U+IS+R) | 24.9% | 19.8% |
The Government of Canada is conducting a research study to better understand Canadians' beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours related to firearms in Canada and you are invited to participate. Ekos has been hired to administer this survey. Si vous préférez répondre au sondage en français, veuillez cliquer sur français.
Who can participate?
To be eligible to participate, you must be at least 18 years old, live in Canada, and currently own at least one firearm. Please note that you will be asked some questions at the beginning of the survey to determine your eligibility to participate. If you are found ineligible, you will be directed to the end of the survey, and your responses will not be recorded.
What will you be asked to do?
[Selected group] If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete a 20-minute online survey. By completing this survey, you will receive a $15 Amazon gift card to thank you for your time, which will be sent to you in about one week after competing the survey.[Everyone else]If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete a 20-minute online survey for which you will be entered into a draw for 1 of 4 prizes of $350. It is voluntary, and confidential. Please complete the survey in one sitting.
The purpose of this survey is to understand beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours related to firearm ownership in Canada. Your answers will be used for research purposes. You will not be asked to answer any questions that could directly identify who you are (such as your name, your full date of birth, your home address, or personal contact information). This survey includes questions about your personal experiences and current public affairs, some of which may be sensitive.
What are the benefits of participating?
Your participation in this study will help advance our understanding of what Canadians think and feel about firearm ownership and what factors influence their knowledge about it. This may benefit future policies, programs, and public communications on these topics. The results from this survey will not be commercialized and the researchers have no perceived, real, or potential conflicts of interests to declare.
Please remember that your participation in the survey is voluntary, you do not have to respond to every question, and you can choose to withdraw from the survey at any time without any penalty by exiting the online response platform. Individuals who exit the survey prior to completion will have their data removed from the results and destroyed. Your responses will be identified by a subject number, so the researchers will not know your identity or your personal information. You can review Ekos' privacy policy here.
Are there possible risks to participating?
The researchers do not anticipate any significant risks or discomforts from participating in this survey. However, you might find some questions difficult or sensitive to answer. Please note that by agreeing to participate in this research, you are not giving up or waiving any legal rights or recourse, in the event that you may experience any harms related to this research. If at any time you feel uncomfortable during this study, you may skip certain questions or stop participating by exiting the online response platform.
Who can you contact with questions?
If you have any questions about this survey, please contact iiu-uii@pco-bcp.gc.ca and indicate the survey topic in the subject line.
This study has been reviewed by Veritas Independent Review Board (IRB). If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or the Investigator's responsibilities, you may contact the Manager of Veritas IRB 24 hours per day and 7 days per week at 514-337-0442 or toll-free at 1-866-384-4221. An IRB is a group of scientific and non-scientific individuals who perform the initial and ongoing ethical review of the research study with the subject's rights and welfare in mind. If you have any study-related comments, complaints or concerns, you should first contact the study investigator. Please call the IRB if you need to speak to a person independent from the Investigator and the research staff, and/or if the Investigator and the research staff could not be reached.
Further information about this study:
I agree to participate in the study and understand that my answers will be used to advance scientific knowledge about firearm ownership and inform government policies.
I agree to the processing of my personal data in accordance with the information provided here.
I am aware that the data will be published in de-identified form to promote transparency in research.
Thank you for deciding to participate in this study. Please answer all the questions in this survey to the best of your ability without consulting any outside information or leaving this survey window.
If you are completing this survey on a mobile device, you might find it easier in landscape orientation.
The survey revolves around questions that typically only apply to firearm owners in Canada.
Do you currently own a firearm?
There are four basic rules of firearm safety, often known as the Vital Four ACTS. To the best of your knowledge, what rule does the letter "A" in ACTS refer to?
First, please provide us with some information about yourself.
In what year were you born?
In which of the following age categories do you belong?
What is your gender? Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, a woman or a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman, for example, non-binary, agender, gender fluid, queer or Two-Spirit.
In which province or territory do you live?
Select one only
Which of the following best describes the size of your community?
Are you First Nations, Métis, or Inuk (Inuit)? Note: First Nations (North American Indian) includes Status and Non-Status Indians.
Please select all that apply.
[IIU_INDIGENOUS_V1 = 2,3,4]In addition to being an Indigenous person, you may belong to one or more racial or cultural groups on the following list. Are you...? [Else] You may belong to one or more racial or cultural groups on the following list. Are you...?
Please select all that apply.
Which of the following categories best describes your total household income for the year ending December 31, 2023? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes?
In this section, you will be asked some questions about the firearm(s) you own, your experiences with firearms training, and where you prefer to get firearms-related information.
How many firearms do you currently own?
Which of the following types of firearm(s) do you currently own?
Please select all that apply.
For how long have you owned firearms?
How did you obtain your firearm(s)?
Please select all that apply.
Approximately how often do you use your firearm(s)?
When you use your firearm(s), how often do you use them alone or with other people (e.g., gun club, hunting with a family member or friend)?
Do you currently have a valid PAL (Possession and Acquisition License)?
People own firearms for many different reasons. How important is it, if at all, for you to own firearms for the following reasons?
Hunting for sport
Hunting for food
Hunting as part of Indigenous tradition or treaty right
Target shooting for sport (recreational or competitive)
Firearms collecting
Self-defense/protection
Protecting myself or my property from potentially dangerous wildlife (e.g., bears, wolves)
Protecting myself or my property from destructive/nuisance wildlife (e.g., gophers, racoons)
Gifted through inheritance
Sentimental reasons/a personal connection
Work-related or employment requirement
How often do you get firearms-related news and information from each of the following sources?
Family, friends, and/or colleagues
Social media
Large Canadian news organizations and journalists (e.g., CBC/SRC, CTV, National Post, La Presse)
Your local newspaper or news outlet
Federal Government of Canada information sources (e.g., websites, social media accounts, commercials)
Provincial or Territorial government information sources (e.g., websites, social media accounts, commercials)
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), provincial police (Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Quebec or Royal Newfoundland Constabulary), and/or local police agencies
Firearms advocacy groups
Independent (not affiliated with a news organization) bloggers, podcasts, commentators, or journalists
Firearms businesses, shooting ranges, or gun clubs
In the past few months, how often have you used each of the following social media platforms, apps, or websites?
Twitter/X
TikTok
YouTube
Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat, Telegram)
In this section, you will be asked some questions about your views on firearms and how firearms are regulated.
Would you say the regulation of firearms in Canada is too strict, not strict enough, or strikes the right balance?
People have a variety of views about firearms and what it means to own them. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about owning firearms?
Owning a firearm is a privilege, not a right.
Owning firearms creates a safety risk for myself or others.
Being a firearm owner is an important part of my identity.
Legal firearm owners are unfairly targeted by firearms regulations and policies.
Firearms violence is almost always caused by criminals or those in illegal possession of firearms.
Most firearm owners are responsible and take care to keep themselves and others safe.
Firearm owners are required to follow safe firearm storage practices but may face challenges, such as lack of time or resources.
Please select a number on a scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always) that best describes how often you do each of the following before storing your firearms:
Check that they are unloaded.
Use a secure locking device to ensure that the firearm(s) cannot be readily used.
Check that the firearm(s) cannot be readily used by the removal of the bolt or bolt-carrier.
Ensure ammunition is NOT easy to access.
Store ammunition together with your firearm(s) in a securely locked container that cannot easily be broken into or opened.
Store ammunition separately from the firearm(s) in a securely locked container that cannot easily be broken into or opened.
How often do you use each of the following methods to store your firearms? Please answer on a scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always).
A securely locked container.
A room that cannot be easily broken open or into.
A securely locked vault.
A safe or room specifically built or adapted for the secure storage of firearms.
In a place in my home that is not secured, but no one else knows about.
People use storage or locking devices for different reasons. Please indicate how important, if at all, the following reasons are for why you use storage or locking devices:
To prevent theft of my firearms.
To prevent unauthorized access by an adult household member.
To prevent access by someone under the age of 18 in my household.
To keep my firearm in good condition.
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements concerning the safe storage of your firearm(s):
Safe storage options are too expensive.
I am not sure which safe storage option to use.
There is no store near me where I can buy a safe storage option.
Safe storage options mean it would take too long to access my firearm(s) in an emergency.
Safe storage will damage my firearm(s).
I don't need a safe storage option for my firearm(s).
To what extent, if at all, do you think the groups of people below follow the federal requirements on the safe storage of firearms?
Please estimate between 0 and 100 percent.
Family and friends who own firearms
People at your gun range or shooting club
Other Canadian firearm owners in general
Have you personally ever been, or do you know someone who has been, accidentally shot or injured by a firearm?
Please select all that apply.
In this section, you will be asked some questions about your experiences with federal Government of Canada programs, specific firearms policies, and whether and how you think you will be impacted by specific firearms policies.
To what extent do you support or oppose the following firearms-related policies in Canada?
A "buyback" program in which the government will provide compensation for the collection of certain banned firearms.
New measures and funding to reduce firearm smuggling and trafficking.
Expanding background checks to include a review of a firearms license applicant's entire life history.
In May 2020, the Government of Canada announced a prohibition on certain types of firearms. Approximately 2,000 models and their variants are now included in this legislation (e.g., the AR-15, Ruger Mini 14, and Vz58 rifle).
An amnesty order is in place until October 2025 to protect lawful owners of the affected firearms. In the coming months, owners of these firearms will learn about how they can dispose of, deactivate, or export them before the expiration of the amnesty order.
Do you currently own any of the affected firearms (e.g., AR-15 style, Ruger Mini 14, Vz58 rifle, etc.) which you think could qualify for the federal government's "buyback" program?
How many of the affected firearms do you think you currently own?
How likely, if at all, [BAN_OWN = 1,2] are you [Else] do you think affected firearm owners are> to participate in the buyback program before the amnesty order expires in October 2025?
If you had to estimate, what percentage of affected firearm owners are going to participate in the buyback program before the amnesty order expires in October 2025?
Please estimate between 0 and 100 percent.
To help Canadians comply with the law and not possess the affected firearms, there are a few options for eligible individuals who possess them. To dispose of these firearm(s), how likely, if at all, [BAN_OWN = 1,2] are you [Else] do you think affected firearm owners are to use each of the following options?
Deactivate any affected firearms at the government's expense.
Deactivate/destroy any affected firearms at my own expense.
Export any affected firearms to another country.
Return any affected firearms to the federal government and receive compensation.
[BAN_OWN = 1,2] I [Else] They will not dispose of these firearms.
How much, if at all, would the following factors motivate [BAN_OWN = 1,2] your [Else] affected firearm owners' decision to dispose of these firearms?
Financial compensation
Desire to avoid a possible legal penalty
Wanting to comply with the law
Supporting the principle of banning these types of firearms
Wanting to get rid of these firearms anyways
Being able to keep deactivated firearms for sentimental reasons
Disposing of these firearms only because it is mandatory
Seeing, hearing, or knowing about other firearm owners disposing of affected firearms
Concerns about future firearm ownership if [BAN_OWN = 1,2] I [Else] they do not dispose of affected firearms
Ability to dispose of firearms in a manner that does not draw public attention
A simple and easy way to dispose of firearms
How easy or difficult would it be for [BAN_OWN = 1,2] you [Else] affected firearm owners to dispose of these firearms in the following ways?
Participate in the buyback program by transporting affected firearms to the nearest police or RCMP station.
Participate in the buyback program by transporting affected firearms to a mobile drop-off site.
Participate in the buyback program by mailing or shipping affected firearms to the government.
Deactivate affected firearms at a registered gunsmith.
Export affected firearms to another country.
In the next section, you will be asked a few questions about trust in government and other organizations/groups. Some of these questions may be similar to each other - please answer each to the best of your ability.
In this section, the word 'government' refers to the whole institution of government, all the people who work for it, and the systems, policies, programs, services, and decisions it makes. We are not referring to specific political parties and politicians.
In general, how much do you currently trust or distrust the following levels of government to make good decisions in the best interest of the public?
The federal government
Your provincial/territorial government
In general, to what extent do you trust or distrust the following groups or entities?
Large Canadian news media organizations (e.g., CBC/SRC, CTV, National Post, La Presse)
Your local newspaper or news outlet
Politicians in Canada
Federal public servants (e.g., non-political employees at Service Canada, statisticians working on the census etc.)
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
The police, in general
Firearms advocacy groups
Other Canadian firearm owners
How much do you trust or distrust the ability of the following groups or entities to implement effective policies, programs, and regulations on firearms-related issues?
The federal government
Your provincial/territorial government
How much do you trust or distrust the ability of the following groups or entities to maintain public safety?
The federal government
Your provincial/territorial government
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
The police, in general
To what extent do you feel the following groups and entities understand the needs of firearm owners, if at all?
The federal government
Your provincial/territorial government
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
The police, in general
Firearms advocacy groups
Firearms businesses, shooting ranges, or gun clubs
Other Canadian firearm owners
Canadians who do NOT own firearms
In this section, you will be asked some questions about your views on crime, safety, and the world in general.
Compared to other areas in Canada, do you think that the amount crime in the area where you live is higher, lower, or about the same?
Below are very general statements about the world - not the world we wish we lived in, but the actual world as it is now. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with these statements.
Real danger is everywhere; even if we don't notice it.
Most things and situations are harmless and totally safe.
I tend to see the world as pretty safe.
On the whole, the world is a dangerous place.
How likely, if at all, do you think the following events are to happen to you at some point in your future?
You will be robbed or mugged.
You will be violently attacked.
Your home will be invaded by an armed burglar.
In this section, you will be asked some questions about yourself, your feelings about other people, and other general views of the world.
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
I become frustrated when I am unable to make free and independent decisions.
I become angry when my freedom of choice is restricted.
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The fact that I am Canadian is an important part of my identity.
In this final section, you will be asked some follow-up questions about yourself.
Are you a parent or legal guardian of a child under 18 years of age?
What are the first 3 characters of your postal code? We only use this to understand some things about the area you live in.
Which language(s) do you speak on a regular basis at home?
Please select all that apply.
What is the highest level of formal education that you have completed?
You have now completed the survey. Thank you for taking the time to do so. Your answers have been saved and you may now close your browser window.
Screened-out
Unfortunately, based on your responses you are not eligible to participate in this survey. Thank you for your time!