CALGARY SEPT 2017 B

EMBARGOED UNTIL:
6 AM MST, OCT 3, 2017
PRINT EXCLUSIVE:
POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Methodology
Mainstreet surveyed a random stratied sample of
1,000 Calgarians September 28, 2017 through
Chimera IVR. Respondents were screened to
conrm voting eligibility. Landline and Cell lines
were included. Responses were weighed using
demographic information to targets based on the
2016 Census.
The margin of error for survey results is 3.1
percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
. majority government in the 2015 federal election.
About Mainstreet
With 20 years of political experience at all three
levels of government, President and CEO Quito
Maggi is a respected commentator on Canadian
public aairs.
Dierentiated by its large sample sizes, Mainstreet
Research has provided accurate snapshots of
public opinion, having predicted a majority NDP
government in Alberta, a majority Liberal
government in British Columbia and a majority
Liberal government in Ontario. Mainstreet has
been the most accurate polling rm in several by
elections and the most recent Toronto mayoral
election. Most recently, Mainstreet Research was
the only polling rm to correctly predict a Liberal
Contact Information
In Ottawa: Quito Maggi, President
quito@mainstreetresearch.ca
In Montreal: David Valentin, Executive Vice
President. david@mainstreetresearch.ca
In Toronto: Dr. Joseph Angolano, Vice President
joseph@mainstreetresearch.ca
Find us online at:
www.mainstreetresearch.ca
twitter.com/MainStResearch
facebook.com/mainstreetresearch
ARENA DEBATE A HOT TOPIC - BUT NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE

October 3, 2017 (Ottawa, ON) A new Mainstreet/Postmedia poll produced for the Calgary Herald &
Calgary Sun nds 47% of Calgarians think the city should stand rm on its commitment to get a good arena
deal for taxpayers - even if it means the Calgary Flames leave Calgary. But at the same time Calgarians do
not think the arena debate is the most important issue. The Mainstreet/Postmedia poll has a margin of error
of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Right now, these are hypothetical numbers. said Quito Maggi, President of Mainstreet Research. There is
no other city telling the Flames to move and while there is speculation as to where the Flames could go it
is not something considered imminent - if it was, perhaps public opinion on the matter would change.

The numbers are clear however that the Flames face an uphill battle in securing funding for a new arena
from the public - at least, on their terms.

39% of Calgarians said the most recent deal presented by the city was a fair deal while 35% said it was
unfair. Undecided voters were the most likely to say the deal was fair (48%) followed by voters supporting
Naheed Nenshi (44%). Meanwhile supporters for Andre Chabot and Bill Smith were more likely to say the
deal was unfair; 43% of Smith supporters said it was unfair as did 49% of Chabots supporters.

When we asked about whether the city should hold rm on getting a good deal for taxpayers - even if it
meant the ames leaving, supporters for Naheed Nenshi were most likely to say the city should hold rm
(59%) while supporters for Smith were against securing the best deal if it mean the loss of the Flames
(51%). Undecided voters were much more split on this question than the last, 41% to 36% (41% in favour of
the city securing the best deal).

Nenshis supporters like what he is doing on this issue - but even some of his own voters disagree. And the
same is true of the other mayoral candidates. Its helpful to Mr. Nenshi that undecided voters believe the
deal thats on the table is one thats fair but at the same time undecided voters are split on whether the city
should allow the ames to leave.

All that being said, Calgarians care much more about property taxes than they do about the arena debate.
38% of Calgarians said property taxes was the most important issue to them, only 8% said the same about
the arena.

Mainstreets analysis shows the arena debate is on bottom half of the list with the top three issues being
Property Taxes, Crime & Safety and Trac & Congestion, nished Maggi.

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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:

David Valentin, Executive Vice-President, (514) 913-5524 - david@mainstreetresearch.ca

What Calgarians Most Important Issue
Really Care About
We asked Calgarians two important
questions; whats the most
important issue and whats the
least important issue?

Despite dominating the

conversation, the arena debate
does not score highly on the list.

Instead, Calgarians are telling us

the most important issue this
election is Property Taxes while the
least important issue is Arts &
Culture.

We can use the two metrics; the

most important issue and the least
important issue to learn a lot about
Calgarians.

For instance, if you tell us your

most important issue is property
taxes and least important issue is
arts and culture, we know that you
rank issues this way:
Least Important Issue
1. Property taxes
8. Arts & Culture

What do we know about how you

feel about Trac & Congestion?
Well, we know you rank Trac and
Congestion below Property Taxes
(thats your number one) and above
Arts & Culture (because you ranked
that last).

Using this information, Mainstreet

ran an analysis to see how
Calgarians would rank the issues
from 1-8, here are those results;

1. Property Taxes & Fees

2. Crime & Safety
3. Trac & Congestion
4. Aordable Housing
5. Public Transit
6. A new arena to replace the
Saddledome
7. Hosting the 2026 Winter
Olympics
8. Arts & Culture