Trust in Canada’s key institutions on the rise amid unprecedented tensions with U.S., poll suggests

Fans wave a Canadian flag at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

OTTAWA — Public trust in Canada’s key institutions is on the rise as the country navigates unprecedented tensions with the United States, a new poll suggests.

The annual CanTrust Index published by Proof Strategies — which was conducted online by The Logit Group and can’t be assigned a margin of error — surveyed 1,501 Canadians between Jan. 7 and 15.

Canadians’ trust in others and in many major sectors and institutions has increased since last year, the poll suggests.

Four in 10 poll respondents said they have trust in governments, up from 36 per cent in 2025 and 32 per cent in 2021.

Forty-five per cent of respondents said they trust small and medium corporations and the news media, up from 40 per cent and 37 per cent last year. Trust in the news media is at its highest level since 2016.

The poll suggests 57 per cent of Canadians trust non-profits and charities, up from 50 per cent last year.

Large corporations saw a decline in trust — 27 per cent, down from 33 per cent last year.

Bruce MacLellan, chair of Proof Strategies, told The Canadian Press the poll results suggest there’s been a “Team Canada” moment.

“Canada’s been suffering a year or more of battering from our old friend the United States, and particularly from the White House. So in many ways, it is not surprising that that would have an effect on trust,” said MacLellan, who noted that trust is driven by values, circumstances and events.

“If we assume that the White House will continue to be threatening Canadian sovereignty and Canadian economic independence, I would expect to see Canadians will react by circling and by showing more trust in our own institutions.”

The report suggests that trust in the fairness of the Canadian electoral system is at a seven-year high, at 58 per cent.

Trust in the military, the RCMP, the health-care system, the Supreme Court, education systems and the Bank of Canada also remain high at over 50 per cent.

The poll suggests Prime Minister Mark Carney is the most trusted federal party leader, at 45 per cent.

Just over a third of respondents said they trust Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, 24 per cent said they trust Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, 21 per cent said they trust interim NDP leader Don Davies and 18 per cent said they trust Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet.

While trust in Carney has decreased from 52 per cent in May 2025, MacLellan said the number remains high.

“I think that’s helping Canadians to feel like they can trust our Canadian institutions,” he said. “The combination of a serious threat from outside the country, but also a prime minister who seems to be able to articulate Canadian values and bring Canadians together around those values, is contributing to this trust as well.”

MacLellan said a high level of public trust in key institutions leads to a more efficient and productive economy, more innovation and a better functioning society.

The survey also asked respondents about their level of trust in artificial intelligence.

It suggests while more Canadians are using AI, they trust it less than in previous years.

The report suggests 29 per cent of Canadians trust AI to have a positive impact on the economy, down from 33 per cent in 2025.

The survey also suggests one in three Canadians trust the federal government to regulate AI companies — slightly lower than the share of respondents who trust Ottawa to regulate airports, fisheries and oceans, banks, railways and pharmaceutical companies.

“It’s obviously a very unique technology and Canadians, I guess, are having their eyes wide open as they start to use it, that it’s certainly not yet at a stage where they can trust it,” said MacLellan.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press