The Earth is flat. We have been secretly contacted by intelligent beings from other planets. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did not land on the moon in 1969. They may sound like bizarre statements, but a new poll suggests a sizable number of Canadians believe in these and other conspiracy theories.
About five per cent of us are flat-earthers, the poll suggests, while 11 per cent say they think the lunar landings were a hoax. And one-third of respondents say they think evidence that aliens have been in contact with our planet is being hidden from the public.
Polling firm Leger surveyed 1,529 Canadian adults and 1,011 Americans between Nov. 24 and 26, asking about their beliefs in several popular conspiracy theories. The poll cannot be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.
In all, 79 per cent of Canadians and 84 per cent of Americans surveyed reported believing in at least one of a list of conspiracy theories mentioned in the poll. In both countries, conservative-leaning voters were more likely to believe in conspiracies.
Just over a quarter of American respondents say they believe global warming doesn’t exist, compared to 16 per cent of Canadians.
The most popular, among Canadians and Americans alike, was the notion that the mainstream media is manipulating the information it disseminates. Fifty-five per cent of Canadian respondents and 67 per cent of American ones say they believe that to be the case, while another 10 per cent of Canadian survey participants said they don’t know.
In second place is the long-standing theory that John F. Kennedy’s assassination was a coverup. Kennedy was shot while riding in a convertible in his motorcade on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested the same day, though he claimed he was not responsible. Oswald was shot and killed two days later in the Dallas police station.
More than a third of Canadian respondents and just shy of half of Americans reported they do not believe the official account of the former president’s death.
While the poll did not present alternative theories, many of the popular conspiracies about Kennedy’s assassination involve his then-vice-president, Lyndon B. Johnson, the CIA, the mafia, and other countries including Cuba and Russia.
About one-third of respondents from both countries say they think the car crash that killed Princess Diana in Paris in August 1997 was an assassination, rather than an accident.
The same number of Canadians — 34 per cent — said they believe scientists and governments are withholding a known cure for cancer.
Thirty-two per cent of Canadians and 51 per cent of Americans surveyed believe COVID-19 was created as a biological weapon in a lab.
U.S. intelligence officials released a report in June that rejected some points raised by those who argue COVID-19 leaked from a Chinese lab, stating that American spy agencies are divided over how the pandemic began.
That report said four intelligence agencies still believe the virus was transferred from animals to humans, while two agencies — the Energy Department and the FBI — believe the virus leaked from a lab. The CIA has not made an assessment.
The June report was met with anger from Republicans, some of whom argued at the time that a lab leak was the only option that made sense. The poll suggests 70 per cent of Republican voters believe in the lab leak theory.
Republicans were also more likely to report they believe the government is hiding the truth about the harmfulness of vaccines, a conspiracy that had support from 63 per cent of GOP voters and 49 per cent of Americans overall.
Those trends were reflected in the Canadian data, too: a third of those polled believe governments are lying about vaccines, but that number jumps to 45 per cent of Conservative-leaning voters.
The survey results also suggest that among the four major political parties in Canada, Tory voters lead the way in believing in every one of the conspiracies presented in the poll except for one: half of Bloc Quebecois voters are unconvinced by the official account of JFK’s assassination.
There was also less of a discrepancy among voting intentions when it came to survey respondents who said they believe that evidence of alien contact is being hidden from the public. The survey also suggests the belief that mainstream media manipulates information is strong across the political spectrum, with those intending to vote Conservative at 69 per cent, Liberal at 37 per cent, the NDP at 47 per cent and the Bloc at 44 per cent.
A quarter of Conservative supporters surveyed say they think the 2020 U.S. election was rigged and stolen from Donald Trump. That’s eight points above the Canadian average of 17 per cent, but well shy of the 57 per cent of Republicans who think the same.
A regional breakdown suggests Albertans are most likely to believe there’s a secret global elite working to establish a world government, at 44 per cent, and that feminism is a strategy to enable women to control society, at 19 per cent.
The feminism control theory was almost twice as popular among Canadian men than women.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2023.
— With files from The Associated Press
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives have launched what could become an overnight marathon voting session in the House of Commons, after signalling they'd be making good on their threat to delay the government's agenda over their opposition to the carbon tax.
The director of public prosecutions in the Caribbean nation of Dominica has confirmed that two men have been charged in the death of Quebecer Daniel Langlois and his partner.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says the death toll has risen to five in a salmonella outbreak linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes.
Hunter Biden was indicted on nine tax charges in California on Thursday as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of the U.S. president's son intensifies against the backdrop of the looming 2024 election.
Ottawa has announced nearly $5.5 million in new funding to address health worker well-being and speed up the application process for international medical graduates who want to work in Canada.
The suspect in the deadly shooting at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, had a list of targets at the school and at East Carolina University in North Carolina, police said Thursday.
Canada will more than double the cost-of-living financial requirement for incoming international students on Jan. 1, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller announced today.
A box-shaped cloud of opaque dust that lies at the centre of our galaxy has long perplexed scientists, and observations that reveal a new detail about its composition are deepening the mystery — possibly upending what’s known about how stars form.
A draft report from a United Nations agency gives Canada a C grade on flight safety and oversight, down from an A+ and far below most of its peers.
Ontario’s self-described ‘crypto king’ just landed in Australia, the latest destination in a months-long travel spree he’s prolifically posted about on social media, despite ongoing bankruptcy proceedings tied to the more than $40 million scheme he allegedly operated.
A Canadian mining company is expected to begin the process of closing its multibillion-dollar operations in Panama today after weeks of civil unrest and protests from civilians fearing the ecological repercussions of its open-pit copper mine that is twice the size of Manhattan.
Canadian boxing great George Chuvalo went blow-for-blow with legends, but it came at a cost. W5's Sandie Rinaldo speaks with Chuvalo's children about the damage that 93 fights did to their father's cognitive health. 'Boom Boom Chuvalo' airs Friday at 10/9 on CTV.
W5 investigates: A couple buys a historic house in Nova Scotia at auction and puts hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovations, but the local government says they don't own the property.
CTV W5 investigates the dramatic explosion that occurred in a small Canadian city after an armed bandit attempted a bank heist. W5 digs up clues that could reveal his identity.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has tabled a petition calling on the federal government to take urgent action on Canada’s aging asbestos-cement pipes due to the potential dangers of drinking tap water containing the deadly fibre.
Austin Riley has been drawing crowds to the race track for years. But his claim to fame isn’t just being fast on the speedway, he is breaking barriers on the track for those with disabilities.
A constitutional challenge of recent Ontario legislation that prevents the undercover filming of factory farms and the animals kept on them kicked off in a Toronto courthouse on Monday morning.
COVID-19 viral activity in Ontario as measured by the province’s wastewater signal is now more than double what it was at this time last year and health officials are raising concerns about what could be a challenging few weeks heading into the holidays.
A new concert venue is coming to northern Toronto next summer. Here's what you need to know.
Police say a pedestrian was struck and killed by the driver of a garbage truck in the city's St. Clair West Village Thursday afternoon.
The Ottawa Police Services Board has settled a case involving a police officer who was accused of invading a deceased child's vaccination status.
A person is in critical condition after a two-vehicle crash in Ottawa on Thursday afternoon.
The Ottawa Police Service is looking for a man who allegedly threatened an OC Transpo passenger with a knife at Tunney's Pasture station early Thursday morning.
A guard at the superjail in Penetanguishene faces several charges for allegedly bringing contraband items into the correctional facility.
Police hope to identify a suspect wanted in connection with a break-in at a house in Barrie.
A Barrie man has been charged after a City Hall security guard was left injured while trying to escort the man out of the building.
A Brantford, Ont. woman who faked being pregnant to defraud doulas and obtain care under false pretences has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including fraud, mischief and committing indecent acts.
Sofyan Taya, a former guest scholar at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City. His friend and former colleague called him a brilliant and gentle soul.
The IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship is just around the corner – an exciting time for hockey fans across Canada.
Oxford County OPP are investigating a fatal workplace accident that happened Thursday morning on 15th Line in Zorra Township.
Comfortable conditions are expected across midwestern Ontario Friday.
There’s no sugar coating the results of an annual survey of Londoners conducted on behalf of city hall. According to telephone interviews, more and more report their “quality of life” has declined.
The size of a holiday lightshow is being put to the test as Kingsville administration puts together a report regarding extreme holiday shows like the one hosted by Colton Williams in Kingsville.
A senior Bank of Canada official was in Windsor-Essex on Thursday — one day after the Bank of Canada maintained its key interest rate target steady at five per cent.
Workforce Windsor-Essex has launched a website specifically designed to outline skills required to get into the industry.
The majority of confirmed Canadian cases in the ongoing cantaloupe salmonella outbreak are in Quebec, according to health officials.
The director of public prosecutions in the Caribbean nation of Dominica has confirmed that two men have been charged in the death of Quebecer Daniel Langlois and his partner.
While Premier François Legault says he's 'very open on monetary issues' in exchange for more flexibility on the part of unions in managing public services, the Common Front counters that 'their flexibility means ripping pages out of our collective agreements.'
A new report by more than 30 researchers is estimating how much food will cost in 2024 and how much money it will take to feed families.
The Maritime provinces are leading the country in lengthy healthcare wait times, showing a stark contrast to the national average.
Social Development Minister Jill Green says a temporary solution for the homeless crisis in St. Stephen could come as soon as Friday morning.
A basketball referee is facing sexual assault charges after Winnipeg police say two victims have come forward.
A number of southern Manitoba cities, towns and communities broke heat records on Wednesday, with above-seasonal temperatures expected to continue for the next few days.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a 36-year-old man one week ago.
Some quick thinking from witnesses of a crash in northeast Calgary on Wednesday helped rescue a two-year-old girl who was trapped under a vehicle.
Alberta's health minister is facing pushback after taking a meeting focused on naturopathic medicine's role in the province's primary care.
Taber police are working with Fish and Wildlife officers to relocate a family of moose that has seemingly taken up residence in the southern Alberta town.
Alberta politicians wrapped up the fall sitting of the legislature in the early hours Thursday, with Premier Danielle Smith's government cutting off debate to pass a bill mandating a referendum be held before the province could quit the Canada Pension Plan.
Police shot and killed a woman in southeast Edmonton on Wednesday.
A southside business association is expanding a program to help shops in its neighbourhood deal with damage from vandalism.
A British Columbia Supreme Court jury has retired to deliberate in the first-degree murder trial of Ibrahim Ali, more than eight months after he pleaded not guilty to killing a 13-year-old girl in a Metro Vancouver park in 2017.
An order by Vancouver's fire chief to clear an encampment on the Downtown Eastside was "unlawful and invalid," according to a lawyer who represented residents in a court challenge of the order.
A woman is in hospital with "critical and life-threatening injuries" after a vehicle struck her in Abbotsford Thursday afternoon.
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives have launched what could become an overnight marathon voting session in the House of Commons, after signalling they'd be making good on their threat to delay the government's agenda over their opposition to the carbon tax.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the oil and gas industry will have to cut emissions more than one-third by 2030. A framework outlining the cap is being published today with plans to publish draft regulations next spring and get the final regulations in place in 2025.
As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre continues to voice concern over the increase in food bank usage, his party is being criticized by some for voting against a private member's bill that would advance a framework for a national school food program.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says the death toll has risen to five in a salmonella outbreak linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes.
Since the rise of virtual care in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and doctors were able to use this alternate form of care 'safely and effectively,' new research from McMaster University suggests.
Public health officials say they recorded in 2022 the highest number of new HIV diagnoses in 10 years in the city of Montreal and its on-island suburbs. Data shared last week shows the number of new reported HIV cases more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, to 310 from 141.
A new transient orca calf has been spotted in the waters off British Columbia, adding to what's already been a record-breaking year for sightings of the Bigg's killer whales.
An ambitious plan in Nova Scotia to build North America's first coastal refuge for captive whales has reached a critical phase.
A box-shaped cloud of opaque dust that lies at the centre of our galaxy has long perplexed scientists, and observations that reveal a new detail about its composition are deepening the mystery — possibly upending what’s known about how stars form.
The woman who accused Jonathan Majors of assaulting her in the backseat of a car broke down multiple times on the witness stand Thursday as the actor's attorney repeatedly played a surveillance video that showed Majors lifting her up and thrusting her into the vehicle.
Rapper Kodak Black has been arrested again in South Florida, this time on charges of possessing cocaine, jail records show.
Jonathan Majors' former girlfriend testified Wednesday about the "substantial" pain she suffered after he allegedly assaulted her in the backseat of a cab this spring, as photos of the woman's injuries were shared with a Manhattan jury for the first time.
Telus Corp. is urging the CRTC to address a "dramatically" changing industry landscape, echoing its Canadian broadcasting rivals, as the federal regulator's three-week hearing held in response to the Online Streaming Act winds down.
A draft report from a United Nations agency gives Canada a C grade on flight safety and oversight, down from an A+ and far below most of its peers.
A new report by more than 30 researchers is estimating how much food will cost in 2024 and how much money it will take to feed families.
The Merry and Bright light festival has illuminated the botanical gardens in St. John's, N.L. for seven years, and it just keeps getting bigger.
Some of the words tied to this year's hottest topics were also among the most mangled when it came to saying them aloud, with stumpers ranging from the first name of "Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy to the singer SZA to the name of a sacred slab of sandstone used in the coronation of King Charles III.
Historically a commuter train from Ankara to Kars, the train has gone viral among Turkish influencers in recent years for its stunning scenery through the east, full of off-the-beaten-path treasures.
The night after her international farewell game, Christine Sinclair was back at B.C. Place Stadium — this time for an evening with family, friends and sponsors to mark the launch of her foundation.
Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller declined to take questions at his locker on Thursday, a week after turning himself in to police in a Dallas suburb after allegedly assaulting the mother of his children, who is pregnant.
Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were still up for grabs as team officials started to head home Wednesday evening following a baseball winter meetings of much talk and little action.
A decision to remove certain elements of the G class driving test in Ontario was done without safety evaluations or formal approval from cabinet, the province’s auditor general says.
California regulators say a San Francisco robotaxi service owned by General Motors covered up an accident involving one of its driverless cars, raising the specter they may add a fine to the recent suspension of its California license.
BMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the U.S. because the driver's air bag inflators can blow apart in a crash, hurling metal shrapnel and possibly injuring or killing people in the vehicles.
© 2023 
All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy