Winnipeg, Canada – Although most Americans are confident that water will continue to flow from their taps in the coming years, a significant proportion expect that ordinary activities like turning on their faucet, washing their dishes or taking a shower will hit them much harder in the wallet in the years to come.

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Labels: American water issues, Probe Research, water prices, water shortages

Winnipeg – Shocking crimes in the news and the distinction of our city as Canada’s “Murder Capital” might make some Winnipeg residents wonder about the moral virtues of their fellow citizens. But a new Probe Research survey finds that most Winnipeggers are honest, upstanding folks who refuse to bend the rules even when presented with an opportunity to do so.

Probe Research asked 600 Winnipeg residents whether they would be consider doing the following activities that might be considered illegal or dishonest:
- Running a red light in the middle of the night if no one was around
-“Sampling” a grape in a grocery store while deciding whether to buy a bunch
- Exaggerating on their resume

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Labels: ethics, Probe Research, Winnipeg issues

Brandon - Housing, crime and economic issues share the spotlight as Brandon’s top public issues as we begin 2010.

Affordable or more housing, homelessness and poverty were the most important issues facing Brandon (18%), along with crime (17%), and the economy (16%). These results were obtained from a random and representative survey of 400 Brandon adults in an exclusive Probe Research/Brandon Sun survey taken in December 2009.

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Labels: Brandon issues, Probe Research

Winnipeg - Men drink merlot, women sip chardonnay and both sexes prefer dogs to cats and showers to baths. These are but of a few of the findings taken from a new Probe Research survey conducted for the Winnipeg Free Press which reveals a number of consumer tastes and preferences among a random and representative sample of 600 Winnipeg adults.

In addition to analyzing the differences in Winnipeggers’ consumer tastes based on age, gender, income and education, this survey also reveals variations among those who support different political parties. For example, Liberal voters are more likely to splurge on pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, while many of the people you see lining up at your neighbourhood Tim Horton’s for double-doubles are more likely to be fans of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the federal Conservative Party.

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Labels: consumer behaviour, personal habits, Probe Research, Winnipeg

Brandon – Two years since the party lost Brandon West by the narrowest of margins, it appears as if the provincial New Democratic Party could recapture its former seat in the Wheat City if a provincial election were held today.

A Probe Research poll conducted exclusively for the Brandon Sun reveals that the governing NDP leads the rival Progressive Conservative Party throughout Brandon. The NDP, which currently holds one of the city’s two seats in the Manitoba Legislature, is supported by 45 percent of decided voters city-wide. The Progressive Conservatives, whose MLA Rick Borotsik wrested Brandon West from NDP cabinet minister Scott Smith in the 2007 provincial election, enjoy the support of one in three Brandon adults (33%). Twelve percent of decided voters would cast a ballot for a Manitoba Liberal Party candidate, while a slightly smaller proportion (10%) support parties that are not represented in the Legislature. Thirteen percent of voters were undecided.

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Labels: Brandon politics, Manitoba Liberal Party, NDP, Probe Research, Progressive Conservative Party

Brandon – As a municipal election approaches in 2010, incumbent Brandon Mayor Dave Burgess is well-positioned to win a third term based on the results of a Probe Research Inc. survey conducted exclusively for the Brandon Sun.

Probe Research presented 400 Brandon residents with a hypothetical ballot for the 2010 mayoral race that included the incumbent mayor and declared challengers Shari Decter Hirst and Deborah Boschman. Probe Research also added another potential challenger, local businessman and former city councillor Don Kille, to the hypothetical mayoral ballot to see how the race might be affected if he decided to throw his hat into the ring. To see how voter preferences might shift in the event that one of these candidates does not run, Probe Research also asked Brandon voters to provide their second choice for mayor.

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Labels: 2010 municipal election, Brandon politics, Probe Research

Winnipeg – If you know what Farmville is, or if you have ever decided to “unfriend” someone you are not particularly fond of, chances are you’re one out of every two Winnipeg residents (49%) with a profile on the social networking website Facebook.

A Probe Research poll conducted for the Winnipeg Free Press finds that nearly as many Winnipeg residents (49%) have a Facebook profile compared to 50 percent who have resisted signing up for this website (1% did not say if they had a Facebook profile). Not surprisingly, the vast majority of young adults (78% of those aged 18-34 years) have established a presence on this website, but they are joined online by one-half (50%) of those aged 35-54 years. And there’s a good chance their parents – and maybe even their grandparents – are joining this virtual community, as more than one in five adults aged 55 years and over (21%) have signed up for Facebook.

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Labels: Facebook, Probe Research, social networking

Winnipeg – A new Winnipeg Free Press-Jory Capital poll conducted by Probe Research Inc. finds that Manitobans remain exceptionally confident in the economic future of their respective communities. Four out of five Manitobans (80%) remain very confident (30%) or somewhat confident (50%) in their community’s economic future. Though this represents a slight decrease (-4%) since September, the vast majority of Manitobans throughout the province remain relatively bullish about their region’s future economic prospects, with Winnipeg residents (82%, -5%) slightly more likely than non-Winnipeg residents (79%, -4%) to believe that the future is bright for their local economy.

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Labels: economic confidence, Jory Capital, Manitoba economy, Probe Research

Winnipeg – After a year of bank bailouts and financial catastrophe throughout the world, financial institutions may not inspire the level of confidence they once did. Here in Manitoba, however, most residents express continued faith in banks and credit unions despite the financial troubles that have challenged financial institutions elsewhere

A Winnipeg Free Press/Jory Capital survey of 1,000 Manitobans conducted by Probe Research finds that more than two-thirds of the province’s adults (68%) have the same level of confidence in banks as they did one year ago, with a similar proportion (66%) noting that their confidence in credit unions has remained unchanged during the past 12 months.

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Labels: banks, credit unions, economic confidence, Jory Capital, Probe Research

Winnipeg – There may be a new face in the premier’s chair, but the governing New Democratic Party has maintained its familiar place in front of its rivals as Manitoba most-popular political party.

A new Probe Research Inc./Winnipeg Free Press survey finds that new Premier Greg Selinger and his NDP government would be re-elected by nearly one-half (47%) of decided Manitoba voters if a provincial election were held today. The NDP now enjoys a 10-percentage point advantage over its nearest rivals, the Progressive Conservative party, which is the first choice of 37 percent of decided voters. The Manitoba Liberal Party, meanwhile, remains a distant third with the support of 11 percent of decided voters. Four percent of decided voters would cast ballots for parties not represented in the Legislature. Nearly in five voters (19%) are undecided.

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Labels: Greg Selinger, Manitoba Liberal Party, NDP, Probe Research, Progressive Conservative Party

Winnipeg – Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the governing Conservative Party have rebounded from a slight mid-year dip and now enjoy the support of one out of every two decided Manitoba voters.

A new poll conducted exclusively for the Winnipeg Free Press by Probe Research Inc. shows that the Conservatives have surpassed the same level of support that they enjoyed in the most recent election held in October 2008. As the graph on the following page shows, the Conservatives now have the backing of one-half (50%) of decided voters. The Conservative Party’s current level of support represents an increase of two percentage points since September 2009 and a six-point increase since June 2009.

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Labels: Conservative Party, federal standings, Liberal Party, Manitoba politics, NDP, Probe Research

Winnipeg – With the H1N1 virus expected to strike hard later this fall, a majority of Manitobans feel they and their fellow citizens are adequately prepared to face this outbreak, a new Jory Capital-Probe Research Inc. survey of 1,000 Manitoba adults conducted for the Winnipeg Free Press finds.

Fully seven-in-ten adult Manitobans (72%) believe the provincial population is equipped to deal with this flu strain. Although only 15 percent report Manitobans are “very well prepared”, most agree that Manitobans are at least “somewhat well prepared” (57%). Conversely, a significant one in four adults (25%) do not sense that their fellow citizens are adequately prepared to prevent the transmission of H1N1, with 19 percent of citizens saying Manitobans are “not very well prepared” and six percent stating the province is “not at all prepared.” Four percent of those surveyed were undecided or did not offer an estimate of the provinces’ flu readiness.

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Labels: H1N1, manitoba, Probe Research

Winnipeg – One year after a steep drop in the markets triggered a global economic meltdown, a majority of Manitobans are confident that the Canadian recession is now behind us, a new Probe Research-Jory Capital Inc. poll of 1,000 Manitobans reveals.

Three-in-five adult Manitobans (59%) believe that the grim economic times have ended, with 11 percent saying they are “very confident” and 48 percent indicating they are “somewhat confident” that the recession has ended. Fewer than four-in-ten adults (38%), meanwhile, are still apprehensive about the state of the economy, with 27 percent being “not very confident” and 11 percent “not at all confident” that the recession is over. Three percent of the province’s adult population was undecided or could not offer a response.

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Labels: Jory Capital, Manitoba economy, Probe Research, recession

Winnipeg – Premier Gary Doer’s sudden retirement as leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party has not affected the party’s popularity with Manitoba voters, a new Probe Research Inc./Winnipeg Free Press survey finds.

The provincial New Democrats remain the most popular party in the province, with 45 percent of Manitobans stating they would vote for the NDP in a hypothetical provincial election. For the NDP, which will choose a new leader October 17, this represents no change since the last sounding conducted in June 2009.

With the support of 38 percent of decided voters, the Hugh McFadyen-led PCs have increased their popularity by two percentage points and have shrunk the NDP’s advantage from eight percentage points to seven. The Liberals, meanwhile, remain far behind both parties, with just 12 percent of decided voters backing the party led by Jon Gerrard (-2% from June). Four percent of respondents would back other parties not represented in the Legislature, while 15 percent of voters were undecided.

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Labels: Gary Doer, Hugh McFadyen, Jon Gerrard, Manitoba Liberal Party, Manitoba politics, NDP, Probe Research, Progressive Conservative Party

Winnipeg – As the race for the leadership of the New Democratic Party draws to a close, a new Probe Research Inc./Winnipeg Free Press survey of 1,000 Manitobans reveals that Greg Selinger stands head and shoulders above rival Steve Ashton and former candidate Andrew Swan as the most popular choice for the party leadership and the premier’s chair.

More than one in four Manitoba adults (27%) indicated that Greg Selinger, the province’s finance minister for the past 10 years, is the best candidate to lead the New Democrats and succeed outgoing premier Gary Doer. Just better than one in ten citizens (12%), meanwhile, pointed to Thompson MLA Steve Ashton as the best candidate for the NDP’s top job. Minto MLA Andrew Swan – who bowed out of the race on September 28 – received the backing of nine percent of adult voters. Party member John Boehm, who had announced to some media outlets that he was running for the party’s leadership, received support from only three percent of respondents.

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Labels: Andrew Swan, Greg Selinger, NDP leadership, Probe Research, Steve Ashton

Winnipeg – A majority of Manitobans (56%) now say they would support an NHL
team returning to Winnipeg, according to a new Jory Capital-Probe Research
Inc. poll of 1,000 Manitoba adults conducted for the Winnipeg Free Press.

The poll shows that public support for a National Hockey League franchise
returning to Winnipeg has intensified since a similar sounding was taken in June
2007, at which time 47 percent of Manitobans yearned for the return of the NHL
to the provincial capital. Opposition to the NHL’s return, meanwhile, has
decreased slightly, with just one in three adults (34%) now opposing a potential
NHL team in their province compared to 41 percent who felt this way two years
ago.

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Labels: Jory Capital, Probe Research, Winnipeg NHL franchise

Winnipeg – Expect the lines at your local hardware store to stretch a little longer
this year as Manitobans stock up on building materials in order to claim the
federal government’s new home renovation tax credit.

A Jory Capital-Probe Research poll provided to the Winnipeg Free Press finds
that almost one-half of Manitoba households (51%) plan to take advantage of
the new Home Renovation Tax Credit this coming year. When asked whether
they plan to access this tax incentive, three in ten Manitobans (29%) said they
were very likely to renovate their homes, with another one in five citizens saying
they were somewhat likely (22%) to take advantage of the federal tax credit.
Three percent of citizens, meanwhile, said they have already completed home
repairs and applied or received this subsidy.

On the other hand, nearly four in ten adults (37%) said they would not be
induced by this tax credit to conduct renovations, with 26 percent stating they
were very unlikely and 11 percent noting they were somewhat unlikely to
perform this work. Fewer than one in ten adults (7%) said they are not eligible for
the tax credit because they are unable to do home repairs where they live, while
the remaining two percent of respondents were uncertain as to whether they
would conduct renovations to their homes and apply for this credit.

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Labels: home renovation tax credit, Jory Capital, Probe Research

Winnipeg – As he marks five years on the job as Mayor of Winnipeg, Sam Katz can
celebrate the fact that an overwhelming majority of Winnipeg residents (74%) still think
that he is doing a good job as the city’s top elected official. This is according to a recent
poll of 600 Winnipeg residents conducted by Probe Research Inc. on behalf of the
Winnipeg Free Press.

Nearly three in four Winnipeg adults (74%) say that Mr. Katz is conducting his job
effectively, as 16 percent of those surveyed note that the current mayor has performed
“very well” and 58 percent state that he performed “fairly well” since taking office in
June 2004. Approximately one in five citizens (20%), on the other hand, are dissatisfied
with the mayor’s job performance, with 13 percent stating Mr. Katz has functioned “not
very well” in his current position and seven percent arguing Mr. Katz has done his job as
mayor “not at all well.” The remaining five percent of respondents were undecided on
this question.

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Labels: City of Winnipeg, Probe Research, Sam Katz

Winnipeg, Manitoba – An overwhelming majority of Manitobans expect it will be at least another year before the Canadian economy will recover from recession. These results emerged from a survey of 1,000 Manitoba adults, conducted in mid- to late March by Probe Research Inc. The survey was sponsored by Jory Capital Inc. and released exclusively to the Winnipeg Free Press.

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Labels: Jory Capital, Manitoba economy, Probe Research, recession

Winnipeg, Manitoba – A majority of Winnipeg residents urge governments to allocate public money to road and bridge upgrades before they spend taxpayers’ cash on a dedicated rapid transit line, water system upgrades, or a new stadium for the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. These findings were gathered from a random and representative telephone survey undertaken by Probe Research Inc. for the Winnipeg Free Press. Other research results reveal that relatively younger citizens are divided between support for bridge and street repairs and building a rapid transit system.

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Labels: infrastructure, new WInnipeg CFL stadium, Probe Research, rapid transit, Winnipeg issues

Winnipeg, Manitoba – After nearly 10 years as premier, Gary Doer’s leadership continues to win praise from two-thirds of Manitoba adults, double the approval ratings given to Progressive Conservative leader Hugh McFadyen or Liberal leader Jon Gerrard. As well, the NDP now holds a ten-point lead in voter support, largely based on strong support from Winnipeg voters. Probe Research conducted this most recent random and representative sampling of 1,000 Manitoba adults for the Winnipeg Free Press between March 9th and March 25th, 2009.

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Labels: Gary Doer, Hugh McFadyen, Jon Gerrard, Manitoba Liberal Party, Manitoba politics, NDP, Probe Research, Progressive Conservative Party

The Manitoba Business Leaders Index is an annual survey of the provincial business landscape as expressed by senior business officials from across the province. The
survey sample includes a stratified random sampling of CEOs, presidents, business
owners and designated senior corporate officers from 200 small, mid-sized and large
commercial “establishments” as defined by Statistics Canada and the Manitoba Bureau
of Statistics. This business sampling includes publicly traded and private companies
from all major sectors of Manitoba industry.

Business listings have been developed based upon the most authoritative and up-todate
sources available including various telephone directories as well as Federal,
Provincial and Municipal government business contact data.
Executive telephone interviews were conducted between January 28th and February
19th, 2009. With the sample size of 200, one can say these results are accurate within
±6.9% of what they would be had the entire population of Manitoba business leaders
been surveyed.

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Labels: Manitoba Business Leaders Index, Manitoba economy, Probe Research