Cyclists are liberals?! (Retry)

[kfergos]

I originally posted this poll with democrats & republicans as options. Terribly insensitive of me to all those who don't live in the US and also as was pointed out, liberal/conservative and democrat/republican don't correspond exactly. So let's try this again, more accurately.
---

I just heard a story about a couple guys out for a ride. The cyclists passed a fellow stopped in his SUV, getting his mail. As the cyclists went by, the driver shouted, "Get off the road, you f****** liberals!"

What?! What about cycling screams "LIBERAL!" to this guy? I assumed cyclists had a normal split of liberals & conservatives. This made me wonder, though, if we do lean one way or another politically. Hence the poll, which is purely for information and NOT to start any heated political discussions. I would be curious to hear any hypotheses on what makes a person think cyclists are all liberals, though.

[Skierchickie]

Hmmm - not actually information I share. Okay - I don't share information about who I'm voting for (although it becomes obvious sometimes), and I have no party affiliation. I don't vote in the primary because I refuse to choose a side and label myself one party or the other. I try to stay in the middle ground, but I've been finding myself leaning farther and farther left over the past few years. Am I a liberal? I'm sure there are people who would say that I am (my boss and most of my coworkers).

Question: why do people use the word "liberal" as a derogatory term? That really gets under my skin. Must mean I am one?

Okay, I just marked "neither", at least in the hope that I can be objective and make decisions / form my views on a case by case basis. But I probably could have marked the "L" word and not been a liar.

[Crankin]

Kfergos I find it interesting you got that comment. I've heard it, too, although it was a couple of years ago. Maybe it's particular to this area?
I'm a Democrat, a liberal who is on the moderate side, and I don't care who knows my political preferences!

[VeloVT]

I don't vote in the primary because I refuse to choose a side and label myself one party or the other.

But... but... This argument doesn't really make sense, if you do ultimately care who you vote for in the general election... if you don't vote in the primary, then you may potentially have to live with the non-preferred candidate winning the nomination. Do you really want to be choosing between, say, Dennis Kucinich and Mitt Romney?

Now, of course, your ONE vote probably won't affect the primary, but your ONE vote won't turn the general election either -- so if you believe you should vote in one, then you should vote in both.

I also don't think they mark down which ballot you take in the primary -- they just cross your name off as having voted. You just have to be able to stomach saying it outloud once (though crossover voting in primaries is not unheard of either, so just becaue someone TAKES a Republican ballot doesn't necessarily mean he or she is a Republican...).

Interestingly, I voted last Tuesday in the state primary, and I wasn't asked which ballot I wanted -- I was handed a stack of four ballots: one with a city ballot measure that wasn't partisan, and three primary ballots (one democratic, one republican, and one progressive). You were supposed to fill out the top ballot and only one primary ballot -- there were two boxes at the poll exit, one optical scanner for the ballots you filled out, and one box for the ballots you didn't fill out. The primary ballots were marked with the message "complete one ballot only. if you complete more than one ballot, your vote will be invalid." I did wonder if they actually have a mechanism to check this.

[Tri Girl]

Here's my thoughts, for what they're worth (not much).

I think cyclists may get deemed liberal because we ride, which is environmentally friendly, and people associate that with hippies and liberals. I don't know why. I say this as experience of what I know where I live (Oklahoma). I live in a VERY conservative place. I get called "hippie" a lot by my DH's family and by co-workers (who are very conservative- it's meant to be deroggatory). I embrace my hippiness, because it means I care about others and the environment and want the world to be a more accepting, loving, happy, place (not that conservatives don't want those things, too).

Why liberal is a negative term, I don't know. I take it as a compliment. My friend and I call each other "hip" and "lib" as nicknames because we're called that by others who mean it to be negative. We think it's a good thing.
I don't know... interesting topic, tho. :)

[Flur]

We have caucuses here. I can say with confidence that since we vote on slips of paper and put them in a hat, no one would know if you voted twice!

I'm a libertarian, which, for those who don't know, means that I want to limit government involvement in my life. This means that I tend to agree with the "conservatives" in economic spending, but the "liberals" in social issues. For example, government should not decide how to spend my money or what I'm allowed to do with my body. I guess that makes me a liberal 50% of the time! It also makes it really hard to vote...

[BabyBlueNTulsa]

Interesting topic indeed.


Just as a note... just as often as "liberal" may be deemed derogatory..I think "conservative" is used that way also.

I try to steer clear of political discussions since usually there is no ground to be successfully agreed upon. People have their opinions and that's not for anyone else to say is wrong (though they do - ha).

[newfsmith]

I don't vote in the primary because I refuse to choose a side and label myself one party or the other.

I understand completely your position. In the general election your affiliation is not recorded. I find it very offensive that anyone other than the political party should be able to find my political affiliation. It should not be a public record, available to anyone who wants to inspect the voter registration records. To me, that is an invasion of the privacy of the voting booth.

[VeloVT]

I understand completely your position. In the general election your affiliation is not recorded. I find it very offensive that anyone other than the political party should be able to find my political affiliation. It should not be a public record, available to anyone who wants to inspect the voter registration records. To me, that is an invasion of the privacy of the voting booth.

I guess I should clarify what I said earlier. How this works varies from state to state. In Vermont, you are not asked to declare an affiliation when you register to vote, but you typically are asked to choose a ballot in primary elections (although maybe that is changing, if my experience last week is becoming typical). As noted, your ballot choice is not recorded, but many people still object to having to say it out loud, potentially in front of their neighbors (though I don't object to it greatly myself).

I guess I might object to having to declare my affiliation at registration, if for no other reason than it makes it difficult to make candidate-by-candidate choices (which I don't really do, but I believe in principle that one should be able to do, as long as you vote in only one primary of course).

I think we would be well served to standardize voting procedures and voter registration across the country, taking such concerns into account as well as all of the other important voting issues.

That said, voting is really important and voting in the primary is as important as voting in the general -- the outputs can only be as good as the inputs.

[salsabike]

I don't like it either but am not going to deprive myself of any opportunity to vote because of it. I still think voting is most important.

[shootingstar]

I think we would be well served to standardize voting procedures and voter registration across the country, taking such concerns into account as well as all of the other important voting issues.

That said, voting is really important and voting in the primary is as important as voting in the general -- the outputs can only be as good as the inputs.

In Canada it's just 1 voting standard across all the provinces and territories for federal elections. And no one is required to declare their party affiliation in advance..before going to the polls to vote.

For the past few decades we've had 3 major federal political parties to choose from. Occasionally there has been a 4th...though I must admit I haven't paid attention to the 4th.

[kelownagirl]

In Canada (Federally) we have Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats, the Green Party, and few others (different in Quebec tho). And Provincially, we have Liberals who aren't liberal at all but are very conservative and New Dems who are more or less Liberal. Weird.

Although on this poll I said I am liberal, you couldn't pay me to vote Liberal Provincially, although I do vote Liberal strategically in Federal elections because my party will never get in there so it's simply a matter of trying to keep the Conservatives out.

As one friend pointed out to me, it depends on the issue. I am a radical liberal on all social issues, that's for sure. My leaning on other issues vary.

[andtckrtoo]

I'd like to see a "moderate" option in the poll, as I think most of us consider ourselves moderate while leaning in one direction or another. I like some of the traditional things each party stands for, but I think neither one is standing up to those traditions lately.

As for voting... I vote, whenever I'm given the option to vote (I even voted on this poll. ;)). I feel it's a civic duty and I do believe my vote counts. I also believe that I do not have the right to complain about the government if I do not vote. :D

[tulip]

I voted. I don't put bumper stickers on my car lest people I don't know rush to some sort of judgment about me without even knowing me. Not just political bumper stickers, but ANY bumper stickers (even college ones).

[Crankin]

I guess I'm in the minority here, since I'm the only one who said she didn't care who knows what my party affiliation is. It's part of who I am and I tend to be pretty out there with all such things.
But, back to the original question. Why are cyclists perceived as liberals?
This reminds me of something that happened in 1990, right after we moved back here. The schools were in bad shape, we lived in a small town on the NH border that had a reputation for being more blue collar than white. Many kids in town went to the Catholic school, and the public schools were notoriously underfunded. Here come my 2 little Jewish boys from Arizona... we got highly involved in an override vote for the schools and I wrote a letter to the regional newspaper saying something like "I would work 3 jobs to pay the extra tax money, so my kids could get a good education." Well, the next week I came home from work with my kids and put on the answering machine (back when you heard the message on a tape) and some woman was saying, "I have lived on your street for 30 years and we don't need you RICH LIBERAL snobs, so why don't you get the hell out of town?"
That was really nice for my 5 and 8 year old to hear.
My older son still has the tape and we play it every so often to laugh.

[Skierchickie]

Liza: You make very good points.
Here is my reasoning. I have voted in primary elections before, but I generally want to vote for the person from one party for one office, and somebody from another party for another. In Michigan you are required to register as one or the other (at least in the presidential primary), and the lists are sent to the national party. It isn't just a verbal selection. That is what I object to. I consider myself an independent.

Also, after thinking about it quite a bit this year, I realize that the primaries are for the sake of each party being able to choose its best candidate. If I don't consider myself as one or the other, and want to be free to vote for the person I see as the best one for the job, then maybe I have no business mucking up the waters for those that are actual party backers. Does this make any sense?

Anyway, I see it as a very imperfect system. Not that there is a perfect one. I really get sick of the "my party is right and the other party is wrong, no matter what" attitude that the government seems to have. The finger pointing often gets in the way of doing the right thing.

[tulip]

I don't mind talking about my political leanings, but I don't wear it on my sleeve or on my car. In my profession, I have to work with organizations and government agencies from across the political spectrum. I seek out commonalities. We are all working towards the same goal, and sometimes a bumper sticker will get in the way if someone comes to the table with a preconceived notion of who they are dealing with.

But y'all aren't my profession, so I'm happy to say that I'm very much on the liberal (in the U.S. political system sense) side of things, mostly.

[Mr. Bloom]

There's no category for a fiscal conservative and social moderate.;):p


I don't mind talking about my political leanings, but I don't wear it on my sleeve or on my car.
Me too

[kfergos]

Alas, I couldn't do every single combination of political leaning. I think the American system, at least, could be revamped significantly for some major improvements. For example, why not be able to vote for ANY candidate in ANY election?


I think cyclists may get deemed liberal because we ride, which is environmentally friendly, and people associate that with hippies and liberals.

I think this must be it, although I never would've thought that for recreational cyclists. I was originally thinking that there are plenty of conservative businessmen (for instance) who buy super-expensive bikes but would classify themselves as conservative. Maybe if you asked people who mainly commuted to work on bike, the demographic would be different. It seemed like why would mainly recreational cyclists have a higher liberal population than conservative? But maybe more conservative people ride ATVs or snowmobiles or go hunting or something (to pick a few probably wildly inaccurate stereotypes), and leave the enjoying the outdoors by person-power to liberals?

Makes you wonder about other sports, too... Running? Swimming? Water polo? :D

[Fredwina]

There's no category for a fiscal conservative and social moderate.;):p


Me too
I believe in the US, they're called Libertarians (although the Libertarian party is probably more socially liberal.)

[shootingstar]

In Canada (Federally) we have Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats, the Green Party, and few others (different in Quebec tho). And Provincially, we have Liberals who aren't liberal at all but are very conservative and New Dems who are more or less Liberal. Weird.

Yes, agree that at the provincial level in B.C., our Liberals who are in power right now,...are quite conservative.....

The better thing about Canadian politics federally and provincially, is that it is quite rare in the past few decades, that a politician would regularily invoke religious themes and references to "God" into their speeches, campaigns. Thank goodness...don't need to mix church and state, or clutter/confuse the public's mind even more.


As for why cyclists are perceived as liberals...maybe:
1) a bike looks and is a cheaper form of transportation. It's not a status symbol like the car. The car truly is a still a powerful status symbol in terms of a person's statement about their "perceived" income.

So maybe the subservsive logic in the minds of non-cyclists is the cyclist is "poorer" (though statistics have shown that this is clearly not always true) and hence, cyclists are perceived as a group which they feel govn't should subsidize/assist in range of programs and services.

2) Public advocacy efforts of some cycling advocates just may put them out of mainstream behaviour and thinking for the vast majority who don't cycle.

[Kano]

When I'm on the roads, I'm either on my bike or in my SUV.

According to the original tale of bikers being accused of being liberals by the SUV driver (so we "assume" conservatism?) where do I fit in?:D

Karen in Boise

[Love2Ride]

I too am careful about revealing my political leanings at work. I think I know someone very well, but then I find that sometimes I am surprised by a person's views on issues near and dear to my heart. I have to be careful, because I know that revealing your political leanings in a work situation can actually can alter how someone views you.

For the record, my leanings are towards the left. :)

Some of my very good friends are more conservative than I am. I just look at it as one of the interesting differences among friends!:D

[Biciclista]

Well, what's funny is that what I am is called Liberal, but my ideals are very conservative. Conserve fuel, conserve land, treasure our resources, have less children. but that's a liberal for you.

[VeloVT]

Back to the comment that inspired this thread... I think people with road rage will sometimes just yell anything out the window, and it doesn't necessarily reflect any kind of broader social phenomenon.

My boyfriend and I were riding this summer in a part of the state where there are wealthy people with shoreline summer homes, and very poor people who live there year round, and not much in between. We came to a three-way intersection in which we had the right of way (we actually didn't have a stopsign), and some guy in a rusty car, coming from the other direction (also no stop sign, but we would never cross paths unless he were taking a left turn, which he wasn't) yells out the window to us, "single file, f*ckbags!". Whahuh? I'm pretty sure I don't even know what a f*ckbag is, and for the record, we were riding single file and to the left, but for some reason he felt compelled or entitled to yell obscenities at us (even it wouldn't have even been possible for to obstruct his passage since we were going in opposite directions, each on our respective sides of the yellow line, and there was no other traffic)...

So I wouldn't be surprised if the subtext of the "liberal" comment was more economic than political.

EDIT:
Although I don't know, Kfergos, according to the results of your poll, he might have been right :cool:. I would not necessarily have expected that either... and it may have to do with something regarding TE demographics... are we representative? It seems like there is a greater number of TE'ers from the pacific northwest and California than other parts of the country (which makes sense given TE's real-world location). Wonder if that if of consequence?

[Eden]

EDIT:
Although I don't know, Kfergos, according to the results of your poll, he might have been right :cool:. I would not necessarily have expected that either... and it may have to do with something regarding TE demographics... are we representative? It seems like there is a greater number of TE'ers from the pacific northwest and California than other parts of the country (which makes sense given TE's real-world location). Wonder if that if of consequence?

Don't discount that this is the internet too. Though it is not a total bastion of liberalism, it does tend have slightly more left leaning demographics.

[CyclaSutra]

After years of eschewing bumper stickers, I finally put two on my Toyota this year: "Grow Cycling" and "Coexist." Benign enough, eh? No retaliation that I can tell, yet, but I did get a person in a colorful VW van with bikes attached yell something and flash the peace sign out the window this summer a couple days before the Rainbow Family gathered nearby. I think maybe he liked the stickers?

I think TE'ers probably lean a little bit bit more liberal because we're mostly women, and we care more about the right to choose -- choose to cycle, choose to vote, choose whether or not to have a child -- because these are not rights that were inalienably ours not so long ago, and we've had to fight for them.

I am not active in politics because I'm a journalist, and I try to maintain whatever impartiality I can. I don't belong to any political groups, because people trying to discredit you could point to your membership in said group as a political leaning. All that being said, I mostly write and edit about fun or noncontroversial things like Girl Scout cookie sales, art openings, missing deer heads, stinky paper towels, obituaries, etc. so maybe I go overboard in my apolitical care. I'm also a perceiver instead of a judger, so I can see both sides. (ENTP)

Many people have assumed that I'm a liberal because I'm A) a woman and B) a journalist. I won't say that they're far off-base, but I vote for the candidate who I believe is either A) best suited for the job or B) the lesser of all evils. I would say that I'm socially liberal, but a little more fiscally conservative than most liberals. I think partly that comes from growing up poor but with parents too proud to accept any government help. Because the poll is so black-and-white, I did click "Liberal," as I guess it's the most accurate choice for me.

In Wyoming, you must register as Rep or Dem to vote in the primary. I am registered as a Rep (unless I change it at the polls because I feel strongly that year about voting for a Dem) because most of the local politicians (county commission, etc.) are running on the Republican primary ticket, and you would lose your voice in the primary if you didn't vote Republican. Generally, there are very few or no Democrats running against each other in the primary. When I told my lesbian sister that I was registered as a Republican, she was aghast. "Things you didn't know about your sister!"

Locally, I always vote for pathways. I almost always vote for the women who choose to run. I almost always vote for the kooks with radical ideas. Nationally, these trends are not so true for me ...

[Mr. Bloom]

I was originally thinking that there are plenty of conservative businessmen (for instance) who buy super-expensive bikes but would classify themselves as conservative.

I resemble that remark;):D

But, I believe that at the core of all widespread conservation lies an economic justification, not a political leaning.

Using this as simply one issue, I support energy conservation because I believe it's in our national interests...in fact, I support higher energy prices to create the stimulus to change behavior. Some might find my support of 'free markets' unconscionable, but our objective is the same even if our means to the end are different...

So, this is why I dislike political labels...and try to avoid characterizing people based on them.


I believe in the US, they're called Libertarians (although the Libertarian party is probably more socially liberal.)

I definitely don't resemble that remark:)

[Crankin]

Well, thinking about some of the comments my husband and son used to get while riding (always from guys in pick ups) maybe cyclists are perceived as liberals because the males aren't afraid to wear lycra? I mean, this is a big thing for some. Of course, my husband gets made fun of for wearing capris and having a polka dot umbrella by some of the sales guys at his company. According to him, they are the only conservatives there.

[VeloVT]

Yeah Crankin, at the time we thought that the Lycra might have something to do with it too, unfortunately. He was riding in front, and I am not well endowed/do not have long hair, and might have been mistaken for a boy at a passing glance, with helmet, sunglasses etc.

I wish people were not so hateful.

[Aggie_Ama]

My car is a confusing one to label. I have a "Please be kind to cyclists" bumper sticker automatically labeling me as a liberal to many, yes I have exactly that yelled at me while riding. I have also been called a tree hugging hippie but I like trees and when mountain biking I even hug them some. I don't think I am a hippie but they seem okay so I guess I could be called worse!

Then I have a "Texas A&M Association of Former Students Century Club Member" sticker. A&M is known as the most conservative (or if you talk those hippies in Austin- redneck) public school in Texas. For pete's sake George Bush (the first one) chose to put his library there. So what am I? :p

[smilingcat]

Well, what's funny is that what I am is called Liberal, but my ideals are very conservative. Conserve fuel, conserve land, treasure our resources, have less children. but that's a liberal for you.


Yes that is what a real conservatives do.

BTW, if people haven't figured out yet; I consider myself a SOCIALIST. so I picked liberal. Still fiscally very much a conservative though. Maybe this is why I just can't see myself spending mucho buckaroos for a brand new bike. Even though I really want one. There are lot of other things I would like to have but don't. I read alot, no time for TV. Again can't justify even a $700 flat screen TV or any TV for that matter. And my car, I'm hoping it can make it to around 300,000 mile mark. Then I'll get a decent car like the Honda FIT. People here have been saying nice things about it so...

And why a SOCIALIST?? Well I believe in universal health care, unemployment insurance and payment, welfare for the needy, care for the elderly social security, medicare... Care for our soldiers and THEIR families (I find it totally revolting that many of the enlisted families have to live below the poverty line). These are values I hold dearly. And all the other values where we care about welfare of others. This to me is a SOCIALIST. It may not be popular and I don't argue with others. This is just me.

I respect what others believe and of their intelligence (with exception of Idi Amin Dada, PolPot..), so all I ask is to respect my belief and my intelligence. And I sincerely hope, I didn't insult anyone.

[Brandi]

I am at a point where it seems it doesn't matter what you are but who is going to do the best job for our people and our country. And i think just getting out there and voting is the most important thing anyone can do no matter what you believe. Thank you and good night!

[TxDoc]

Proud Republican here :)

[Tuckervill]

Don't discount that this is the internet too. Though it is not a total bastion of liberalism, it does tend have slightly more left leaning demographics.

It does?

I can't imagine how that would even begin to be measured.

I think it may appear left leaning in some ways, because I think left leaning people are more likely to be hanging in open forums where all kinds of people may happen by. I think more conservative people may be less willing to tolerate jostling around with people who have fundamental ideas different from their own, and thus prefer more private communities. (This is my own personal opinion formed from my experiences of creating forums around a certain lifestyle choice, back when the internet was new.)

Karen

[Biciclista]

yes, true. More young people are liberal. More older people are not. The internet population tends to be a lot younger than the general population.

I am surprised however at how big the percentage difference is here. Part of it is surely the age thing.
Are liberals more apt to be interested in physical exercise? in getting on bikes and riding?
interesting anyway!

[Crankin]

What do you mean the age thing? A good many of us are over 50...
Are we supposed to be conservative because of our age? I have found that political leanings have more to do with 1) what part of the country you live in and 2) the political beliefs of your family. Both of those are generalizations, but ones that I have found are more true than age.
I have lived in the northeast, the south, the west, and back to the northeast.
There's a reason i moved back here!

[Eden]

It does?

I can't imagine how that would even begin to be measured.

I think it may appear left leaning in some ways, because I think left leaning people are more likely to be hanging in open forums where all kinds of people may happen by. I think more conservative people may be less willing to tolerate jostling around with people who have fundamental ideas different from their own, and thus prefer more private communities. (This is my own personal opinion formed from my experiences of creating forums around a certain lifestyle choice, back when the internet was new.)

Karen

I know I've seen studies that back this up. Though at the moment I'm only finding evidence that points in that direction. The largest demographic in internet usage would be described as young, college educated, relatively well off, urban or suburbanite. They also are more likely to live in a "blue" state. High Internet penetration can be found along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as in the Rocky Mountain States. Meanwhile, in the interior of the country, especially in the Midwest and the South, Internet use lags greatly behind the national average. I'll hazard that people who are in this group are probably more likely to self identify as liberal than conservative. (these statistics come from a Pew Research web site) That is of course not to say that people who do not fit this demographic never use the internet or that all people who do fit this demographic are also liberal- they just are not the majority. I'll see if I can find something more definitive.

Also I'm sure that this will change. People who use the internet today, I think, are still considered to be "early adopters". Once more people begin using the internet and it becomes as ubiquitous as television, the internet community will be much more likely to have the same demographic as the actual community. People will just gravitate to different sites as they gravitate to different tv programming.

[Tuckervill]

You're probably right. I just think the saturation rate is as deep as it's going to get...that we're past the "early adopters" stage. But then, I've been online since 1994. (Compuserve! I chatted with someone in Australia. woowoo!) Even my parents, in their 70s, have been online for 8+ years.

I sense more acceptance and embracing of the internet in that aforementioned community on the conservative side.

The people who are never going to be online are going to die off soon. The people growing up today have always been online. There will always be the ones who eschew technology, and those who have it and don't use it.

I recently got a Blackberry, which means I can get the email and internet virtually anywhere. I used to believe I didn't need this, but it has been very helpful on my current trip (I'm gone from home for a month--starting week 3 today). Even though I have my laptop, I don't have to hunt for a signal to look up directions. I can do it on the fly. This is where I think the big change in the way people use the internet is occurring. I'm by no means an early adopter of this technology!

You're probably right, though.
Karen

[Biciclista]

Crankin, I am 56 and as liberal as they came. I said statistically there are more conservatives our age than there are in their 20's, that's percentages and it doesn't mean YOU are a conservative..



What do you mean the age thing? A good many of us are over 50...
Are we supposed to be conservative because of our age? I have found that political leanings have more to do with 1) what part of the country you live in and 2) the political beliefs of your family. Both of those are generalizations, but ones that I have found are more true than age.
I have lived in the northeast, the south, the west, and back to the northeast.
There's a reason i moved back here!

[smilingcat]

Crankin, I am 56 and as liberal as they came. I said statistically there are more conservatives our age than there are in their 20's, that's percentages and it doesn't mean YOU are a conservative..

I think it was Sir Winston Churhill who snorted "When you are young and not a liberal, you have no heart. And when you are old and not a conservative, you have no brain" Atleast, something like that. The German movie "Edukators" was based on this concept. And as we get older, more people become conservatives. Ein muss sihet Film. Ja? It should have English subtitle. I highly recommend it so do my friends.

[shootingstar]

Use of the Internet at least requires basic literacy of reading and writing. But methinks, that demographics of Internet use has broadened.

Some major North American sources. First 2 resources are one of the best for generic Internet use analyses in North America to begin research.


http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/c/2/topics.asp

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080612/d080612b.htm Statistics Canada is a federal govn't agency. They do annual surveys on Internet use habits of Canadians.

Not sure about the quality of this mega-site. Harder to get a grip on their data collection methods.
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats14.htm