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Canadians are glad 2016 is over: survey

Poll says British Columbians remain more optimistic than others
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Canadians are more than ready to bid 2016 goodbye.

Between the deaths of many much-loved celebrities, terror attacks in the U.S. and Europe, and the rise of the alt-right, a new poll suggests most Canadians are happy to see the end of 2016.

About two-thirds of Canadians felt this year was more bad than good for both the United States and the world, according to the study released Wednesday by the Angus Reid Institute.

Affairs here at home were more positive, but not by much. About 38 per cent of people believed the events of 2016 were more bad than good for Canada, but another 53 per cent felt their province did not fare well.

The study suggests people living in Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta, “both provinces that have been hard-hit by the low price of oil and seen unemployment rise throughout the year,” feel the most miserably about 2016, while Manitoba is about neutral, the highest feeling about the year among the provinces, likely because of its new provincial government. B.C. came in behind Manitoba, with a mostly negative outlook, but the least negative.

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Searches for “worst year ever” skyrocketed this December, the report said, likely because of the news cycle being dominated by the war in Syria and Donald Trump's election as president of the United States.

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@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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