Stress-free outings top post-pandemic wish list for Manitobans, poll suggests

Having the freedom to go out without feeling the stress of a pandemic tops the list of activities Manitobans are looking forward to once public health restrictions lift, a new poll suggests.

The national poll from the Angus Reid Institute asked Canadians what they're most excited to do once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed and there are no more restrictions.

"Doing regular things in the community without stress" was the top pick for Manitobans, with 50 per cent of respondents saying they looked forward to that.

Second among the activities Manitobans were looking forward to (at 38 per cent) was being able have physical contact with other people, like hugging and shaking hands. British Columbians, however, at 51 per cent, were most keen on that.

People in Manitoba were the most likely in Canada (35 per cent) to say they looked forward to spending time with older people they have been unable to see. 

CBC News spoke to several people in Assiniboine Park who echoed many of the survey's findings.

"As the year 2020 is coming to a close, I'm looking forward to 2021 when this pandemic is over and we can gather together again as family and friends ... and give each other hugs and have meals together," said Vinh Huynh.

Holly Goossen was out for a walk with her family, including her nine-month-old daughter who was born in March, just before the pandemic hit.

 "I most look forward to having people see our baby again," she said.

"I'm looking forward to actually seeing family and being able to hug and spend time in the same space as opposed to online or dropping off at the door. Anything that has family together in big groups," said Jacqueline Cullen.

"The thing I'm most looking forward to in 2021 is to travel," said Lindsay Drummond.

The poll also found a majority of respondents (63 per cent) don't expect life to return to normal sooner than next fall.

Twenty per cent said they don't expect things will ever go back to the way they were.

That number increases to 48 per cent among people who say they don't intend to get vaccinated, while only 15 per cent of people who intend to get vaccinated say life will not return to normal.

Conducted online from Dec. 8 to 11, the online poll surveyed a representative randomized sample of 1,603 adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of that size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The sample size for Manitoba was 125, which increases the comparative margin of error to nine percentage points.