A third of British Columbians (33%) believe the project should be stopped, down eight points since October 2021.
Vancouver, BC [August 5, 2022] – Favourable perceptions on the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline have increased in British Columbia and remain high in Alberta, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of representative provincial samples, 51% of British Columbians agree with the federal government’s decision to re-approve the project, up six points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in October 2021.
Practically seven-in-ten Albertans (69%) also agree with the re-approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, down five points since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in November 2020.
In British Columbia, residents of Southern BC (66%), Northern BC (61%) and the Fraser Valley (58%) are more likely to hold positive views on the pipeline project. The rating is lower in Metro Vancouver (50%) and Vancouver Island (41%).
In Alberta, sizeable majorities of residents of Edmonton (72%) and Calgary (66%) are in favour of the pipeline expansion, along with 70% of those who live other areas of the province.
“The proportion of British Columbians who want the provincial government to do anything necessary to ensure that the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion does not happen dropped from 41% in October 2021 to 33% in July 2022,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “In Alberta, 25% of residents (+3) share the same point of view.”
More than half of British Columbians (51%, -4) and three-in-five Albertans (61%, +2) say they are disappointed with the way the federal government has managed the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.
Significant majorities of Albertans (78%, -1) and British Columbians (71%, +6) believe the Trans Mountain Pipeline will create hundreds of jobs for residents of each province.
Two-in-five British Columbians (40%, -7) think the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion threatens the health and safety of the province’s residents. Just under three-in-ten Albertans (28%, +11) share this point of view.
Fewer than half of residents of the two provinces expect gas prices to be lower now that the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion has been re-approved: 40% in Alberta (+6) and 37% in British Columbia (+1).
In November 2016, the federal government rejected a proposal—known as the Enbridge Northern Gateway—to build a new pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia’s north coast, to export oil on tankers to Asian markets.
Just under half of British Columbians (46%, +5) believe it is time to reconsider the Enbridge Northern Gateway proposal, while just over a quarter (27%, -7) disagree.
Support for taking a second look at the Enbridge Northern Gateway is highest in Northern BC (60%), followed by Southern BC (51%), Metro Vancouver (45%), the Fraser Valley (43%) and Vancouver Island (38%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from July 29 to July 31, 2022, among 800 adults in British Columbia and 800 adults in Alberta. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in each province. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.5 percentage points for each province, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables for British Columbia here, our data tables for Alberta here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.caPhoto Credit: Codex