A return to norm? More than half of Canadians will gather for Thanksgiving: poll
Posted Oct 6, 2023 4:21 am.
It appears Canadians are ready to return to everyday life when it comes to gathering for the Thanksgiving long weekend.
A new poll by Maru Public Opinion surveyed just over 1,500 Canadians from Sep. 19 to Sep. 29.
The responses showed that 54 per cent of those polled said they would be hosting or going to another household for Thanksgiving dinner this weekend.
Ontario residents surveyed the highest in terms of wanting to gather in person for Thanksgiving (63 per cent). In comparison, the youngest surveyed Canadians (64 per cent) are also more likely than their older counterparts (ages 35 and up, 51 per cent) to be gathering for the turkey and trimmings this long weekend.
In Québec, Thanksgiving is called “Action de Grâce,” but most Quebecers don’t celebrate the occasion.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions forced many Canadians to rethink their Thanksgiving gatherings with the virus circulating and spreading in the fall months. This led to provincial chief medical officers of health, like Ontario’s Dr. Kieran Moore and Vancouver’s Dr. Bonnie Henry, urging residents to keep gatherings as small as possible to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
In October 2020, health officials in Ontario and Manitoba pointed to Thanksgiving celebrations as they reported high numbers of new COVID-19 infections despite strengthening restrictions in hot spot areas.
