Video: Forum Research President Lorne Bozinoff discusses some of the key findings in the pipeline poll
EDMONTON – Canadians appear to be warming to pipeline construction – at least in theory.
A poll by Forum Research conducted this month found 42 per cent of respondents support TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline, compared to 41 per cent who don’t; 36 per cent approve of the Northern Gateway pipeline.
Both represent an increase from a poll conducted in April, when 38 per cent approved of Keystone XL and 32 per cent approved of Northern Gateway.
Approval of Keystone XL – which would run from the Alberta oilsands to Houston, Texas – is particularly high in Alberta, where 68 per cent of those surveyed want the project to move forward. Keystone’s popularity is lowest in Quebec, where 34 per cent of those surveyed approve.
The energy industry could use the good wishes: Companies are trying to win public support for ambitious projects to pipe Alberta oil to new markets.
U.S. President Barack Obama is set to make a decision on the fate of Keystone XL early next year.
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Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline is closer to home and less popular, especially in B.C. This project would run from the oilsands across the Rockies to Kitimat, BC, where oil would be shipped in supertankers to Asia. It has been facing headwinds, however: There’s been vocal local opposition to the project, and B.C.’s government rejected its current iteration in May.
37 per cent of British Columbian respondents think Northern Gateway’s a good idea; so did 28 per cent of Atlantic respondents and just a quarter of Quebeckers. Support, unsurprisingly, was highest in Alberta, at 66 per cent.
Older people, richer people and Conservative voters were more likely to approve of both pipeline projects.
Both Enbridge and TransCanada have ambitious pipeline projects in central and eastern Canada: Enbridge is seeking to reverse and increase the flow of its Line 9 pipeline, and change what it carries to crude from more refined oil; TransCanada wants to build a massive east-west pipeline to New Brunswick.
In both cases, public buy-in will be key.
Forum’s poll also asked those surveyed what was the safest way to transport crude oil. Fifty-eight per cent of responders believe pipelines are the safest way to transport crude oil. That’s a drop from 62 per cent in July, perhaps because the poll came in the immediate aftermath of a fatal rail inferno at Lac-Megantic, Que. Eighteen per cent said they think rail is safest.
“We’ve been tracking Canadian attitudes toward the two pipelines for about two years now,” Forum’s Lorne Bozinoff said in an interview. “There’s been widespread opposition to both these pipelines. For the very first time we’ve been doing this poll … slightly more people are in favour of Keystone than opposed.”
The Forum poll is of 1,859 adult Canadians reached Oct. 21 and 22. It’s considered accurate +/- 2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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