The first two months of 2022 saw a series of protests and blockades against restrictions and mandates related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa and other parts of Canada. As is often the case in the social media era, there were plenty of allegations about which group—those making noise and those dreading it—had public opinion on its side.

Last month, a Research Co. survey looked at various aspects of the pandemic and found that more than half of Canadians (53 per cent) are convinced that strict public measures were warranted to stop the spread of COVID-19. On other aspects, the public is deeply divided.

For starters, practically seven in ten Canadians (69 per cent) say they followed news stories related to the protests and blockades “very closely” or “moderately closely.” This proportion is lower than the number of the country’s residents who are currently captivated by the tariffs dispute (84 per cent), but still noteworthy.

When Canadians look back on this period, the split is evident. We have 43 per cent of respondents who supported the actions of those who spoke against restrictions and mandates (up two points since April 2024), and 46 per cent (up four points)........

© BIV