The aroma of tourtière wafting from ovens across Quebec. The clash of opinions at dinner tables in Calgary. The carefully orchestrated family photo sessions on Vancouver Island. As Canada heads into another holiday season, our national commitment to family gatherings remains strong despite increasing political polarization.
A new nationwide poll conducted by Horizon Research shows that 76% of Canadians still consider holiday family gatherings “important” or “very important,” even when those gatherings include relatives with opposing political viewpoints.
“What we’re seeing is that Canadians are remarkably resilient when it comes to maintaining family bonds across political divides,” explains Dr. Anita Sharma, lead researcher on the Horizon study. “While American research shows increasing holiday avoidance based on political differences, Canadians appear to be carving out a different path.”
The findings come at a particularly divisive moment in Canadian civic life. Following last month’s contentious provincial election in Manitoba and with federal parties already positioning for next year’s campaign, political tensions have spilled into family WhatsApp groups and dinner conversations nationwide.
Yet Canadians seem determined not to let these differences undermine holiday traditions.
“My brother and I haven’t agreed on a single political issue since 2015,” admits Genevieve Tremblay, 42, from Trois-Rivières. “But we’ve developed what we call ‘turkey table rules’ – no politics until dessert, and even then, we try to listen more than lecture. After all, we’re family first.”
The resilience of Canadian holiday gatherings appears particularly strong in rural communities, where the poll showed 82% of respondents prioritizing family togetherness over political agreement. Urban Canadians reported slightly lower numbers at 71%, with Toronto and Vancouver residents expressing the most hesitation about politically mixed family events.
Regional differences tell an interesting story as well. Atlantic Canadians lead the country in their commitment to cross-political family gatherings at 85%, while Albertans follow closely at 79%. Quebec showed the most variation, with older Quebecers overwhelmingly supporting family traditions while younger respondents expressed more willingness to limit contact with politically divergent relatives.
“Family gatherings serve as micro-democracies,” suggests Dr. Michael Chang, political sociologist at the University of British Columbia. “They’re where we practice the difficult art of disagreeing respectfully, or at least tolerating differences. In many ways, the dinner table is our first parliament.”
The poll isn’t entirely rosy, however. Nearly 32% of respondents admitted to avoiding certain topics entirely during family gatherings, with climate change, Indigenous reconciliation, and vaccine policies topping the list of conversational third rails.
Mental health experts see value in these family connections, even when uncomfortable. “The practice of encountering different viewpoints in a setting where there’s underlying affection can build emotional resilience,” notes Dr. Sarah McKinnon, family therapist and author of “Bridging Divides: Family Communication in Polarized Times.”
McKinnon points to research showing that people with diverse relational networks – including family members with opposing views – demonstrate greater cognitive flexibility and lower stress responses when encountering political disagreement in other settings.
Government officials have taken note of these findings. Last week, Minister of Families Katherine Leblanc referenced the Horizon data when announcing a new “Kitchen Table Conversations” initiative aimed at providing Canadians with resources for navigating difficult family discussions.
“Strong families build strong communities,” Leblanc stated during a press conference at an Ottawa community center. “And strong communities are the foundation of our democracy.”
Not everyone sees political family gatherings as beneficial, however. Youth climate activist Jordan Williams, 23, expressed frustration with what he calls “forced harmony” during holiday gatherings.
“Sometimes these differences aren’t just political – they’re moral,” Williams explained. “When my uncle dismisses climate science as a hoax, that’s not just a different perspective. It’s a rejection of my future.”
The Horizon poll suggests Williams isn’t alone, with approximately 18% of Canadians under 30 reporting they have reduced contact with relatives due to political disagreements – significantly higher than the 7% of Canadians over 60 who reported the same.
Despite these challenges, holiday gathering intentions remain strong across demographic groups. When asked whether they planned to attend family gatherings this season despite political differences, 83% of respondents answered affirmatively.
For me, having covered three federal elections and countless provincial contests, these findings resonate deeply. I’ve watched Canadian politics grow increasingly tribal, yet in my reporting travels from Newfoundland fishing villages to northern Saskatchewan communities, I’ve consistently witnessed how family bonds transcend political identity.
As Margaret Wilson, 68, from Fredericton, put it when I interviewed her last week: “My daughter votes completely differently than I do. Always has. But watching her teach my grandchildren to make the same Christmas cookies I taught her to make – that matters more than who she voted for.”
As Canadians prepare for another holiday season, it seems most are choosing to embrace family connections across political divides – even if it means occasionally biting their tongues between bites of turkey.
