Steve MacLellan

For every environmentalist claiming that 65.6% of voters supported “action on the climate crisis,” there was an oil and gas industry defender claiming that 67.5% of voters wanted “action on pipeline expansion.”

The reality is that voters in Canada cast ballots for a wide range of reasons, and blanket statements that purport to carry the backing of two-thirds of all voters for anything are not helpful. In a province like British Columbia, discussions about natural resource projects and environmental stewardship require a more nuanced approach. While a few years ago, most of the focus was placed on the now-abandoned Enbridge Northern Gateway project, the attention has shifted to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Earlier this month, Research Co. reviewed the feelings of British Columbians on this project and found little change over the past six months. We continue to see a majority of the province’s residents (56%) agreeing with the federal government’s decision to reapprove the pipeline expansion, while more than a third (35%) are opposed and 10% are undecided.