The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation
The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation
All four Atlantic provinces have experienced significant political changes in the past year. These developments have taken place against the backdrop of additional major political change at the national and international level. The impact of these changes are evident in the findings from the the Confederation of Tomorrow 2025 Survey of Canadians.
Key findings
- Overall satisfaction rebounds: After several years of decline, the proportion of Atlantic Canadians satisfied with the way things are going in the country rebounded in 2025. The rebound was especially pronounced in Nova Scotia.
- Assessment of government performance improves: Atlantic Canadians’ assessment of the performance of government, and in particular their provincial governments, improved between 2024 and 2025 in several areas.
- More Atlantic Canadians feeling respected within Canada: The proportion saying their province is treated with the respect it deserves in Canada increased by 10 points, including a 16-point increase in Nova Scotia. Despite this, residents of Newfoundland and Labrador remain more likely than their counterparts in any other province to say they do not get the respect they deserve.
- Attachment to both Canada and one’s province remains strong: Atlantic Canadians remain more strongly attached than their counterparts in other provinces to both Canada and to their province.
- The issues agenda is evolving: Last year, from the perspective of Atlantic Canadians, the most important issues facing the country were related to the cost of living or housing, and health care. But, in 2025, these concerns have been joined by another: relations with the United States and the trade dispute resulting from the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs.
- Moving away and moving back: New questions on inter-provincial mobility show that Atlantic Canadians are more likely that other Canadians to move away from their province for a while and then return.
About the survey:
The Confederation of Tomorrow surveys give voice to Canadians about the major issues shaping the future of the federation and their political communities. They are conducted annually by an association of the country’s leading public policy and socio-economic research organizations: the Environics Institute for Survey Research, the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, the Canada West Foundation, the Centre D’Analyse Politique – Constitution et Fédéralisme, the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and the First Nations Financial Management Board.
The 2025 study consists of a survey of 5,391 adults, conducted between May 1 and June 16, 2025 (92% of the responses were collected between May 6 and May 29); 90% of the responses were collected online. The remaining responses were collected by telephone (both landline and cell phone) from respondents living in the North or on First Nations reserves, or from francophone respondents in New Brunswick.
For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Parkin or the Environics Institute.
This project benefits from the financial support of the Research Support Program of the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC) / Ce projet bénéficie de l’appui financier du Programme d’appui à la recherche du Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC).
