November 2, 2022 – As Metro Vancouver’s new and returning municipal leaders begin their term, data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds many citizens hoping for a future with a more consolidated approach to regional politics.
Overall, half of Metro Vancouverites support amalgamation of some sort. The proposals receiving the highest levels of enthusiasm across the metro region are those that would combine the Tri-Cities (35%), the North Shore (34%) or Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge (31%). In the North Shore itself, half (48%) say they support North Vancouver and West Vancouver coming together as one city.
Eight per cent of respondents say they would combine all Metro Vancouver municipalities into one, while three-in-ten say the current system is fine.
That current system recently saw voters in the region participate in 21 separate mayoral and council elections.
When it comes to more immediate priorities, constituents are hoping that their elected representatives will begin the term with a focus on three core issues: housing, homelessness, and crime. Half (49%) call housing policy a top-two priority for their city, while three-in-ten say so of homelessness and poverty (31%) and crime and safety (29%).
Asked to evaluate how their previous governments had been performing on these matters, responses are overwhelmingly negative. Four-in-five (81%) in Metro Vancouver say their local governments performed poorly on housing. Three-quarters (77%) are critical of mayor and councils’ performance on poverty and two-thirds (64%) give a thumbs-down to the governance on crime and safety. Negativity is more common in Surrey and the city of Vancouver, where incumbent mayors were ousted, than in other communities in the region.
In your opinion, should the following municipalities amalgamate so they vote for one mayor/city council, or not? (Metro Vancouver, n=1,376)
More Key Findings
Police Spending
Asked to choose between two options on police spending, three-in-five (59%) believe more resources should be spent on social welfare services, while two-in-five (41%) disagree and believe it should instead go to more police presence in high crime areas.
Perceptions of Crime
While Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index in Metro Vancouver has fluctuated over the last five years, the majority perception is that crime is increasing in the region. Three-in-five (61%) believe there has been more crime in their community in the last five years.
Local Crime
Of those who believe crime is increasing, half (49%) believe the trend is specific to Metro Vancouver. Two-in-five (43%) disagree and believe crime is increasing everywhere in Canada.
Survey Methodology
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Oct. 6-12, 2022 among a representative randomized sample of 1,376 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.
For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here.
For detailed results by city, click here.
To read the full report, including detailed tables and methodology, click here.
To read the questionnaire, click here.
Image – Matt Wang/Unsplash
From the Angus Reid Institute, Canada’s non-profit foundation committed to independent research.
For detailed breakdown of the results, visit angusreid.org