Insights West Poll: UFOs Are Real for Almost Half of Western Canadians

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Vancouver, BC â€" When asked to discuss several popular conspiracy theories, British Columbians and Albertans are more likely to believe in the prevalence of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) than in the existence of Bigfoot or Ogopogo, a new Insights West poll has found.

The online survey of representative provincial samples shows that 46% of British Columbians and 47% of Albertans believe that UFOs exist. About one third of residents (35% in BC, 32% in AB) also think that the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 amounted to a conspiracy.

Two-in-five Albertans (40%) and a third of British Columbians (32%) think that scientists have found a cure for cancer, but that the government or pharmaceutical companies are withholding it, while smaller proportions (27% in BC, 31% in AB) believe that a human being has already been cloned.

On two issues, there are some wide gaps between the two provinces. Pondering the 1997 death of Princess Diana in a car crash, more than a third of Albertans (37%) consider the event an assassinationâ€"a view shared by 27% of British Columbians.

One-in-four Albertans (26%) believe global warming is a hoax, compared with just 12% of British Columbians.

“Many Western Canadians continue to look at certain issues related to medical research as fodder for conspiracy theories,” says Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, at Insights West. “On climate change, however, the differences between British Columbia and Alberta are more pronounced.”

One-in-five residents (20% in BC, 21% in AB) believe in Bigfoot (or Sasquatch). Similar proportions (19% in BC, 18% in AB) think 9/11 was a U.S. Government conspiracy, while slightly fewer believe that Ogopogo exists (16% in BC, 15% in AB) and that lottery outcomes are rigged (14% in BC, 13% in AB).

Considerably fewer Western Canadians believe that the lunar landings are a hoax (7% in BC, 10% in AB), that Osama bin Laden is still alive (5% in BC, 6% in AB), that dinosaurs never existed (3% in BC, 4% in AB) and that Elvis is still alive (1% in both BC and AB).

Do you believe:
1.UFOs exist: Alberta 47%, British Columbia 46%
2.JFK Assassination Conspiracy: Alberta 32%, British Columbia 35%
3.Cure for Cancer is being withheld: Alberta 40%, British Columbia 32%
4.Human Being has been cloned: Alberta 31%, British Columbia 27%
5.Princess Diana was assassinated: Alberta 37% British Columbia 27%
6.Global Warming is a hoax: Alberta 26% British Columbia 12%
7.Bigfoot is real: Alberta 21%, British Columbia 20%
8.September 11 was a government conspiracy: Alberta 18%, British Columbia 19%
9.Ogopogo is real: Alberta 15%, British Columbia 16%
10.Lottery outcomes are rigged: Alberta 13%, British Columbia 14%
11.Lunar Landings are a hoax: Alberta 10%, British Columbia 7%

http://www.insightswest.com/news/ufos-are-real-for-almost-half-of-western-canadians/