Alberta, Newfoundland among provinces with most pessimistic outlook for 2017: Poll

Not everyone is feeling positive about the new year.

More Canadians expect 2017 to be a bad year rather than a good year for the country, according to an Angus Reid Institute poll released Tuesday.

The online survey of 5,128 Canadians found Newfoundland and Labrador to be the most pessimistic province, with 57 per cent saying there would be more good than bad in the region this year and just 16 per cent taking a positive view.

“Newfoundland has the highest unemployment rate of the provinces polled,” Dave Korzinski, research associate at Angus Reid Institute told BNN via email.

“We also attribute some of this to the slow energy sector in 2016, which has really hit people hard,” he said.

Albertans also held an extremely negative outlook for 2017 after a year of low global oil prices and higher unemployment rates.

Ontario was the second most negative Canadian province, with 47 per cent of Ontarians pessimistic for the upcoming year.

Ontario has large provincial debt, high energy prices and Premier Kathleen Wynne has the lowest approval rating of all provincial leaders in Canada.

Manitoba was the most positive province for 2017. Thirty-four per cent polled say there will be more good than bad, and only 22 per cent have a negative outlook for the new year.