Quebecers watch more TV, work less: survey

CBC News

MONTREAL - Quebecers sleep more and work fewer hours, according to a new survey. They also spend less time reading and exercising.

A Leger Marketing poll of 1,500 people discovered Quebecers worked 38.3 hours a week on average compared with 42.7 hours for Canadians living in the Atlantic provinces.

Other results are:

• Quebecers slept 7.3 hours a day compared to Ontarians at 6.8 hours.
  
• Quebecers read an average of 7.3 hours a week compared to people in British Columbia who topped the survey at 11.3 hours a week.
  
• Quebecers logged 5.6 hours of physical activity weekly compared to eight hours for those in B.C.

When it comes to viewing television, British Columbians grabbed the top spot with 14.2 hours a week. Quebec came in second at 13.2 hours per week in front of the television.

Claude Martin, a professor of communications at the University of Montreal, said the survey indicates the continuing cultural differences of Quebec in relation to the rest of Canada.

He points to the underlying "latin" influence, which places more importance on social activities versus a person's career.

Martin also says Quebecers watch more TV because a lot of programs are produced in the province.

The poll has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.