Almost nine in 10 said being able to speak English or French was either very (59%) or somewhat important (29%) to being considered a true Canadian.<\/p>\n
A similar proportion said sharing Canadian customs and values was either very (54%) or somewhat important (36%).<\/p>\n
Religion and birth place are less important, according to the poll results.<\/p>\n
Birth Place<\/strong><\/p>\n More older Canadians (28%) than younger ones (13%) felt birthplace was important.<\/p>\n Those with Conservative political leanings (24%) felt birthplace was more important than Liberals (16%).<\/p>\n Cultural Traditions<\/strong><\/p>\n Some 54 per cent of respondents said adhering to cultural norms was an important part of being Canadian.<\/p>\n This figure was higher among the over-50s, with 61 per cent of that age bracket holding cultural traditions as important, while only 41 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 agreed.<\/p>\n Conservatives (65%) placed higher importance on cultural traditions than Liberals (37%).<\/p>\n Religion<\/strong><\/p>\n Just 15 per cent said being Christian was very important to the Canadian national identity.<\/p>\n This was higher among the older generation (25%) and dramatically lower among younger people (6%).<\/p>\n Again, a similar trend was seen on the political spectrum, with 21 per cent of Conservatives saying being Christian was important and just 5 per cent of Liberals.<\/p>\n Language<\/strong><\/p>\n Some 59 per cent of respondents said speaking English or French was very important to being considered a true Canadian.<\/p>\n While the result was the highest of the Canada results, it was a smaller share when compared to responses to the same question in other countries.<\/p>\n The positive attitude of Canadians towards immigration is increasingly held up as an example on the global stage, as protectionism takes hold in many countries.<\/p>\n The Pew Research poll shows there are many factors to be considered when assessing exactly what makes a Canadian Canadian, with each one holding a different weight depending who you ask.<\/p>\n Interested employers:\u00a0<\/b>Kindly\u00a0contact us<\/a>\u00a0here to receive further information.<\/p>\n Interested candidates:<\/b>\u00a0Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our\u00a0free on-line evaluation<\/a>. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/shutterstock_115914724-300x225.jpg\" "\\"New")
Just 21 per cent of respondents considered being born in the country as an important part of being Canadian.<\/p>\n