Most Trusted Canadians – 2012 Trust Poll Results

What makes somebody trustworthy?

Past performance is the key to why we trust or distrust public figures. Toronto mayor Rob Ford-who rated poorly in our poll, with only 20 percent of respondents reporting a moderate or high level of trust towards him-has publicly denied the truth more than once. (He was caught lying to a reporter in 2006 about having drunkenly berated a pair of hockey fans, for one.)

By contrast, our poll’s most trusted Canadian, Michael J. Fox, is admired for being upfront about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and for having donated much of his time to raising funds for Parkinson’s research.

Opinions were divided on the man leading the country: Although 23 percent of you trust Stephen Harper highly, he also rouses the suspicions of enough respondents to put him at the top of our list of distrusted Canadians.

Find out where these famous Canadians rank:

1. The Most Trusted Canadians

The numbers indicate the percentage of respondents who claimed a positive level of trust towards the person in question.

1. Michael J. Fox, actor and activist (82)
2. Peter Mansbridge, CBC news anchor (71)
3. David Suzuki, environmentalist, scientist and broadcaster (70)
4. Wayne Gretzky, former hockey player and coach (69)
5. Mike Holmes, contractor and TV personality (68)
6. Clara Hughes, Olympic cyclist and speed skater (59)
7. Michaëlle Jean, UNESCO envoy for Haiti and former governor general (58)
8. Shania Twain, musician (55)
9. Margaret Atwood, author (53)
10. David Johnston, governor general (52)

2. The Least Trusted Canadians

The numbers indicate the percentage of respondents who claimed a negative level of trust towards the person in question.

1. Stephen Harper, prime minister (47)
2. Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto (44)
3. Bob Rae, politician (38)
4. Don Cherry, TV personality (36)
5. Justin Trudeau, politician (32)