Pipeline support on the rise in BC: poll

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Protests remain loud and strong, and tanker spills are still a big worry. However, a new poll finds a slim majority of British Columbians now support the mega-project.

“What we are seeing is a sharpening of public opinion on this issue, both nationally and in British Columbia. Both across the country and in this province we are starting to see support for completion of the project tick upward,” says Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute.

In February, 48 per cent of British Columbians polled by Angus Reid supported the project compared to 40 per cent who opposed. Now, as the debate has heated up, support has risen to 54 per cent while opposition has dropped to 38 per cent.

“That being said, there are still very significant — and vocal and passionate — segments of the population in BC that are very much against this project going ahead, and so much of that has to do with concerns over tankers,” Kurl tells NEWS 1130.

“When we asked British Columbians what the biggest risk is they are personally most concerned about, by a margin of five-to-one it is concern over an oil tanker spill or accident. At the same time, British Columbians are not particularly confident about plans and procedures in place to deal with a response should a spill happen, particularly at sea. They are very much looking to find some reassurance on that issue.”

Kurl suggests that is the major sticking point for British Columbians “in getting to yes” on the Trans Mountain project.

That said, 69 per cent of British Columbians – including one-third who currently oppose the project – say a court ruling that the provincial government does not have the constitutional authority to block the project would be enough to give in and allow the pipeline to be twinned.

Kurl adds that political attempts to strong-arm BC – such as Alberta cutting back oil exports to the province or Ottawa withholding infrastructure dollars – appear to be less effective in getting those currently opposed to the project to say “yes”.

The poll also finds the proportion of Canadians who say the government of British Columbia is wrong to oppose the pipeline has risen significantly – by nine percentage points – since the Angus Reid Institute last asked in February.

Meantime, the provincial government announced it is now taking the case over whether — or not — it has the right to stop the Trans Mountain pipeline to BC’s highest court by the end of the month.