Mainstreet surveyed a random sample of 2,415 Toronto residents by Smart IVR on

August 4th, 2015. Mainstreet surveyed a mixture of landlines and cell phones.
Margin of error: +/- 1.99%, 19 times out of 20. Results were weighed by
geography, age and gender based on the 2011 Canadian Census.

B2
"Exclusive Mainstreet/Postmedia polls are protected by copyright.
The information and/or data may only be rebroadcast or republished
with full and proper credit and attribution to Mainstreet/Postmedia.

TORONTONIANS SPLIT ON POLICE CONDUCT 49% TO 45%

August 7, 2015 (Toronto, ON) - A new Mainstreet/Postmedia poll finds Torontonians split on whether
Toronto police treat all citizens fairly regardless of race. The Mainstreet/Postmedia poll has a margin of
error of +/- 1.99%, 19/20.
Surprisingly, numbers are consistent outside downtown - including Scarborough, where confidence is as
high as 60%. It is downtown Toronto where a majority of Torontonians, 67%, have a lack of confidence in
Toronto Police Services, said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet. Its certainly concerning that there is
a disconnect between downtown Toronto and the rest of the city, counter intuitively those in downtown
Toronto are those most likely to say minority groups in Toronto are doing better than 5 days ago.
Mainstreet asked Torontonians if they were familiar with the recent death of Andrew Loku or the recent
Black Lives Matter protest on Allan road. The questions were randomized in order (and the protest was
not identified as a Black Lives Matter protest, please see script B9).
Torontonians were more familiar with the protest than the death of Loku, who was killed by a bullet fired
by Police, by 5%. Awareness of Lokus death was highest downtown, where 33% were following the story
very or somewhat closely, and lowest in North York (24%).
Not a lot of Torontonians are aware of either story or following them very closely but protests work and
regardless of what you think of them, you talk about them and they bring awareness to issues. I think it
speaks volumes that more are following the story of the Allan road closure than death of Mr. Loku,
finished Maggi.
Regional margins of error:
Downtown +/- 3.49%; Scarborough +/- 3.96%; Etobicoke +/- 4.13%; North York +/- 4.6%
Highlights
- 63% approve of John Torys handling as mayor
- 27% have followed Andrew Lokis death closely
- 49% are not following the protests on Allen Road and another 21% are not aware
- 49% are confident that police treat all citizens equally regardless of race
- 50% say the situation for minority groups in Toronto is the same as it was 5 years ago
-30Available for Phone Interview: David Valentin, (613) 698-5524 - david@mainstreetresearch.ca
ABOUT MAINSTREET
Mainstreet is a national public research firm. With 20 years of political experience at all three levels of
government, President and CEO Quito Maggi is a respected commentator on Canadian public affairs.
Differentiated by its large sample sizes, Mainstreet has provided accurate snapshots of public opinion,
having predicted a majority NDP government in Alberta (2015), a majority Liberal government in British
Columbia, and a majority Liberal government in Ontario. Most recently, Mainstreet was the most accurate
pollster of Novembers Toronto mayoral election.

B3

Do you approve or disapprove of the way John Tory is handling his job as Mayor?
13%

24%

63%

TOTAL APPROVAL: 63%

STRONGLY APPROVE
SOMEWHAT APPROVE
SOMEWHAT DISAPPROVE
STRONGLY DISAPPROVE
NOT SURE
SAMPLE
STRONGLY APPROVE
SOMEWHAT APPROVE
SOMEWHAT DISAPPROVE
STRONGLY DISAPPROVE
NOT SURE
SAMPLE

NOT SURE: 13%

TOTAL DISAPPROVAL: 24%

18-34
27%
30%
10%
21%
12%
378

35-49
40%
27%
12%
10%
12%
516

50-64
37%
25%
14%
9%
15%
847

SCAR.
39%
24%
10%
11%
16%
611

65+
42%
24%
11%
8%
15%
674

N.YORK
34%
25%
12%
14%
14%
454

Male
37%
24%
11%
15%
13%
1082
ETOB.
28%
25%
20%
17%
10%
561

Female
35%
30%
12%
9%
13%
1333
D. TOWN
40%
32%
8%
8%
12%
789

B4

Do you approve or disapprove of the way John Tory is handling his job as Mayor?

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
January

February

March

April

May

June

MAYORAL APPROVAL BY MONTH

July

August

B5

Recently, Andrew Loku was shot and killed. How closely have you been following
this story?
10%
19%

17%

0%

34%
Very Closely

Somewhat Closely

VERY CLOSELY
SOMEWHAT CLOSELY
NOT TOO CLOSELY
NOT AT ALL CLOSELY
NOT AWARE OF THE STORY
SAMPLE
VERY CLOSELY
SOMEWHAT CLOSELY
NOT TOO CLOSELY
NOT AT ALL CLOSELY
NOT AWARE OF THE STORY
SAMPLE

Not Too Closely

18-34
13%
17%
35%
17%
19%
378

Not At All Closely

35-49
12%
16%
37%
20%
15%
516
SCAR.
10%
15%
39%
18%
19%
611

50-64 65+
9%
6%
17%
19%
31%
33%
23% 20%
20% 22%
847
674
N.YORK
10%
14%
37%
20%
19%
454

Not Aware

Male Female
11%
10%
17%
17%
34%
34%
20%
20%
18%
20%
1082
1333

ETOB.
11%
14%
37%
19%
19%
561

D. TOWN
10%
23%
26%
22%
19%
789

B6

Recently, a protest shut down Allan Road. How closely have you been following
this story?
9%
21%

23%

18%
29%

Very Closely

Somewhat Closely

VERY CLOSELY
SOMEWHAT CLOSELY
NOT TOO CLOSELY
NOT AT ALL CLOSELY
NOT AWARE OF THE STORY
SAMPLE
VERY CLOSELY
SOMEWHAT CLOSELY
NOT TOO CLOSELY
NOT AT ALL CLOSELY
NOT AWARE OF THE STORY
SAMPLE

Not Too Closely

18-34
8%
24%
29%
18%
23%
378

Not At All Closely

35-49
9%
24%
28%
17%
22%
516

50-64
11%
21%
29%
21%
18%
847

SCAR.
9%
21%
31%
19%
21%
611

N.YORK
9%
20%
32%
18%
22%
454

Not Aware

65+ Male Female

7%
9%
8%
22% 22%
23%
31% 30% 29%
19% 18%
18%
20% 21%
21%
674 1082 1333
ETOB.
9%
20%
31%
18%
22%
561

D. TOWN
8%
28%
25%
19%
20%
789

B7

How confident are you that Toronto Police treat all citizens equally regardless of race?
5%
17%
16%

32%
29%

Very Confident

Somewhat Confident

VERY CONFIDENT
SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT
NOT TOO CONFIDENT
NOT AT ALL CONFIDENT
NOT SURE
SAMPLE
VERY CONFIDENT
SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT
NOT TOO CONFIDENT
NOT AT ALL CONFIDENT
NOT SURE
SAMPLE

Not Too Confident

18-34
16%
28%
35%
17%
4%
378

35-49
15%
32%
33%
15%
5%
516
SCAR.
21%
38%
23%
12%
6%
611

Not At All Confident

50-64
22%
32%
22%
17%
7%
847

65+
16%
36%
26%
16%
6%
674

N.YORK
23%
37%
22%
13%
6%
454

Not Sure

Male
17%
33%
28%
17%
5%
1082

ETOB.
22%
37%
23%
13%
6%
561

Female
18%
31%
30%
16%
5%
1333
D. TOWN
8%
21%
43%
24%
5%
789

B8

All things considered, compared to 5 years ago, do you think the situation minority
groups face in Toronto is better, worse or about the same?
13%
20%

17%

50%
Better

BETTER
WORSE
ABOUT THE SAME
NOT SURE
SAMPLE

BETTER
WORSE
ABOUT THE SAME
NOT SURE
SAMPLE

Worse

About The Same

18-34
12%
19%
51%
19%
378

35-49
11%
19%
50%
20%
516
SCAR.
13%
19%
45%
22%
611

Not Sure

50-64 65+
13%
16%
18%
13%
49% 50%
21%
21%
847
674
N.YORK
10%
22%
44%
24%
454

Male Female
12%
13%
19%
16%
49%
51%
19%
21%
1082
1333

ETOB.
12%
21%
44%
23%
561

D. TOWN
14%
10%
62%
13%
789

B9

SCRIPT
Do you approve or disapprove of the way John Tory is handling his job as mayor?
- Strongly approve
- Somewhat approve
- Somewhat disapprove
- Strongly disapprove
- Not sure
[THE NEXT TWO QUESTONS WERE RANDOMIZED]
Recently, Andrew Loku was shot and killed. How closely have you been following this story?
- Very closely
- Somewhat closely
- Not to closely
- Not at all closely
- Not aware of this story
Recently, a protest shut down Allan Road. How closely have you been following this story?
- Very closely
- Somewhat closely
- Not to closely
- Not at all closely
- Not aware of this story
How confident are you that Toronto Police treat all citizens equally regardless of race?
- Very confident
- Somewhat confident
- Not so confident
- Not confident at all
- Not sure
All things considered, compared to 5 years ago, do you think the situation minority groups face in
Toronto is better, worse or about the same?
- Better
- Worse
- About the same
- Not sure

Mainstreet is a national public research firm. With 20 years of political experience at all
three levels of government, President and CEO Quito Maggi is a respected commentator
on Canadian public affairs.
Differentiated by its large sample sizes, Mainstreet has provided accurate snapshots of
public opinion, having predicted a majority NDP government in Alberta (2015), a majority
Liberal government in British Columbia, and a majority Liberal government in Ontario.
Most recently, Mainstreet was the most accurate pollster of Novembers Toronto mayoral
election.

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