A new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute has found that Canadians support the concept of mandatory service for those under 30.There was disagreement, however, when it came to what that service would entail.Mark Carney recently announced a substantial pay increase for Armed Forces members. While this may increase the number of Canadians looking to join the ranks of Canada’s military and civil service, the data showed that the younger generation is more willing to serve their country in other ways.Following in the footsteps of countries like Germany, France, and Norway, the model that the poll was based on proposes a mandatory civilian service program for those under 30 that focuses on non-military contributions to society. These nations have implemented similar programs where young people spend a year engaging in public health initiatives, environmental conservation, social services, or civil protection efforts. Among Canadians aged 18 to 29, support for mandatory civilian service was significant, especially when it came to public health, environmental support, youth services, and civil protection. Young women were more interested in public health roles, while young men leaned towards civil protection..Opinions on mandatory military service were generally negative. The poll shows the split is almost even, with 43% supporting and 44% opposing the idea. Young Canadians in general tended to oppose mandatory military service, while older men were more likely to support it. Women across all age groups generally opposed compulsory military enlistment, aside from those 60 years of age and older, who were mixed in their opinions. While the data shows that Canadians generally think that a year of mandatory civil service would be beneficial for Canadian society, those who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2025 election were less likely than others to agree. Those who voted for the New Democrats were generally opposed to mandatory military service.The poll highlighted Canadians perceptions that civilian service is beneficial to many aspects of society. The largest perceived advantage would be to the personal development of young people, which 82% of respondents said would benefit from the implementation of mandatory civil service. Other perceived benefits were social cohesion and the quality of public services, with around 70% of respondents saying they would improve. The survey was conducted online among a sample of 1,619 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The results are considered to have a margin of error of plus or minus 2%
