"What Olympics?" say 34 percent of Canadians about 2010

December 7, 2007

While the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games may be hard at work, constructing stadiums, building roads, and launching the event's mascots, a third of Canada remains oblivious.

When polled by Decima Research, 34% of Canadians could not name the location of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sam Sullivan, mayor of Vancouver, was asked by CTV whether he was concerned with the results of the poll, commissioned by the federal government. He remained confident of their abilities as an international host, saying the Games will bring "us together as a country."

Pollsters accepted either Vancouver or Whistler as correct answers. In the host province, British Columbia, all but 3% were aware. But other major provinces didn't fare so well. Only 68% of Albertans and 60% of Ontario residents knew. Quebec remained the least aware, with only 43% giving a correct answer.

Only 2 in 5 Canadians think the Olympics will positively affect those facing social issues. That question fared even worse in B.C., where just 29% agree.