Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation add their voice to broad coalition

News Release: October 21, 2016
Toronto and Canada want Expo 2025

Poll: 56% GTA Residents, 55% Canadians support Expo 2025 bid

Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation add their voice to broad coalition

New Video shows faces of the city: “Toronto Has a World to Inspire”

Start-up, Tech Industries say Expo boon to innovation sector

It is the clearest signal yet that a strong majority of both Torontonians and Canadians believe that Canada should bid for Expo 2025 in Toronto. Research conducted by Hill+Knowlton Strategies shows that almost 6 in 10 (56%) of those in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) support Canada making a bid to host Expo 2025 in Toronto compared to one in seven (15%) who oppose the venture. Three in 10 (27%) residents in the GTA indicate that they are not sure of their position yet and need more information while 2% did not take any position at all.

Using the identical question, the survey found similar results nationwide with 55% support for Canada making a bid to host Expo 2025 in Toronto, 10% in opposition and 32% not sure and needing more information before making up their mind. 2% also had no opinion.

The poll results were released on the same day that Chief Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation announced that his First Nation was enthusiastically in support of the initiative—a crucial step, given that Expo and the Port Lands redevelopment all would take place on their traditional territory.

The Expo 2025 Committee also released a new video, “A World to Inspire”, in which Torontonians speak passionately for an Expo bid—citing massive economic benefits, an accelerated redevelopment of the Port Lands and the opportunity to market Canada’s innovation sector, cultural industries and diversity to the world. Watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lji9wgEc17A

Speaking at a City Hall news conference Moy Wong-Tam of the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services said: “Expo 2025 holds incredible value for the immigrant and refugee communities of Toronto.”

Writer and activist Andray Domise added: “Expo 2025 Canada will be leveraged to highlight the ingenuity, resourcefulness and unlimited talent of the youth in Toronto, Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke. “

In a measure of the growing enthusiasm for a bid, the Expo 2025 Steering Committee quoted from some of more than 20 letters submitted to Executive Committee from Toronto’s dynamic digital and technology start-up community.

Joseph Weinberg, CEO of Paycase wrote: “I’m confident that bringing EXPO here to Toronto would not only shine a brighter light on the amazing work that we’re all doing, but would help elevate our community to a higher level”

More on the H+K Poll

In order to have a non-influenced set of respondents for baseline measurement, the survey was conducted well before the release of a third-party Expo 2025 feasibility by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Arup and Lord Cultural Resources.

Methodology

The survey was conducted independently as part of the ongoing issues research portfolio developed and maintained by Hill+Knowlton Strategies for insight on current and topical issues. The results, released into the public domain, include the question and data tables used for the survey. There were no other preceding questions on the survey instrument that would have caused any form of inter-item contamination to affect the results.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies conducted an online survey of 1301 Canadian adults of which 483 were in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) between August 29 – September 1, 2016. A final survey data was weighted based on census figures according to age and gender to achieve a representative sample. A national sample of this size has a credibility interval of 3.1% and in the GTA of 5.1%. The sample for the survey was drawn from H+K Perspectives, an online panel developed and maintained by Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada. The methodology used to recruit and maintain the panel was designed by one of Canada’s foremost panel experts who also leads the national Research + Analytics practice.

Survey Question

An Expo is a global event that aims at educating the public, sharing innovation, promoting progress and fostering cooperation. It is organized by a host country that invites other countries, companies, international organizations, the private sector, the civil society and the general public to participate. Canada has played host to two Expos: Expo Montreal 1967, and Expo Vancouver 1986.

From what you know or have heard, do you support or oppose Canada making a bid to host Expo 2025 in Toronto?

Oppose (net) 15% (oppose strongly 7%/mostly 8%)

Support (net) 56% (support strongly 23%/mostly 33%)

Not sure, I need more information 27%

Prefer not to say 2%

For more information: 

(Expo)  Sean Mallen- cell: 416-602-9772, [email protected]

(H+K Poll)  Elliott Gauthier, VP and National Director of Research + Analytics, Hill+Knowlton Strategies  [email protected]

D: 613.786.9959 | M: 613.323.4833