OTTAWA -- Canadians, by far, value their "freedom" more than anything else, while the Canadian flag, followed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, are their "most priceless" national symbols.

In contrast, war and terrorism, followed by the influence of the U.S., are viewed as the biggest threats to Canada's future. On a lighter note, so to speak, maple syrup is the most Canadian of foods, and "eh," the most Canadian of expressions.

Those are among the findings of the third annual Canada Day survey of Canadians' perceptions of their country, themselves, their values, their heroes, and their likes, by Environics Research Group for MasterCard Canada.

When asked what it is about Canada that is the "most priceless" the most frequent response, by 24 per cent, was freedom, while tolerance, cited by six per cent, was a distant second.

Meanwhile, 55 per cent of Canadians consider themselves first and foremost as citizens of Canada, rather than a citizen of the world, cited by 15 per cent, or their province by 13 per cent, or local community, also by 13 per cent. Quebecers, however, were only slightly more likely to see themselves first as citizens of Canada than of Quebec -- 33 per cent versus 30 per cent.

Asked to name the biggest threats to Canada's future, almost one-third cited war and terrorism, a "significant" shift from two years earlier when economic issues were seen as the greatest threat.

The U.S., and that country's influence, remained the second most frequently named threat, cited by 25 per cent, up from 20 per cent in 2002.

The Canadian flag led the way as the "most priceless" Canadian symbol, cited by 31 per cent, although in Quebec the flag, at 23 per cent, trailed the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was chosen by 35 per cent.

When looking at how Canadians are perceived internationally, 30 per cent believe the one word that best describes them is "friendly" -- a view shared by all regions, including 39 per cent of Atlantic Canadians. That was followed by "peaceful," which was cited by 18 per cent.

Not surprisingly then, almost one-third also believe Canada's "peacekeeping and peacefulness" is the greatest contribution it has to offer the world. Humanitarian aid was the second most popular response at 14 per cent.

"With the Priceless Index now in its third year, we're seeing some evolution in opinions, but the fundamental perceptions of Canada's role as a peaceful, tolerant nation endure," said Derek Leebosh, of Environics Research Group, which says the results are accurate within 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Meanwhile, Canadians named maple syrup, Celine Dion and their home towns as making Canada "priceless."

Maple syrup holds its sticky lead, as it has for each year of the survey, ranked by 15 per cent as the most distinctly Canadian food. However, appetites varied across the country with 16 per cent of western Canadians picking beef, 12 per cent of Ontarians selecting bacon, and 21 per cent of Atlantic Canadians choosing lobster or fish as their national cuisine of choice.

As for uniquely Canadian expressions, 60 per cent voiced "eh" while the "I am Canadian" beer shout placed a very distant second at three per cent. Almost one-quarter of Quebecers volunteered various profanities.

Celine Dion, for the third straight year, led the selections as Canada's "most priceless" celebrity, cited by 20 per cent, including 50 per cent of Quebecers, while Wayne Gretzky came in second place with 10 per cent of the votes, followed by Shania Twain, at nine per cent.