80 Percent of Canadians Back Coast-to-Coast Oil and Gas Pipelines: Poll

Steel pipe to be used in the oil pipeline construction of the Canadian government’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project lies at a stockpile site in Kamloops, B.C., on June 18, 2019. Dennis Owen/Reuters

Nearly eight in 10 Canadians are in favour of establishing a network of oil and gas pipelines across the country, a new survey suggests.

An Angus Reid poll found 79 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that Canada “needs to ensure it has oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country.”

The idea was especially popular in Alberta, garnering 89 percent support, but it also received majority support from respondents in other provinces, including Quebec and British Columbia, where opposition to pipelines has been particularly pronounced in the past.

Support was also high in Saskatchewan at 86 percent followed by Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada all at 80 percent. British Columbia residents polled were 76 percent in favour and Quebec brought up the rear at 74 percent.

Rural respondents tended to feel more strongly about constructing a national pipeline network than urban dwellers, with 88 percent of country residents being in favour compared to 78 percent of those in cities.

Men also tended to be more supportive than women, with 82 percent of all males in agreement compared to 77 percent of females, according to the online poll of 1,811 Canadians.

The level of support also changed based on the age of the individuals, with older Canadians being more supportive of the idea than their younger counterparts. Eighty-seven percent of those 55 and older were in favour of a country-wide pipeline compared to 77 percent in the 35 to 54 age bracket and 72 percent in the 18 to 34 age range.

Majority support was also seen among Canadians of all income and education levels.

Pipeline Push

The poll results come at a time when some provincial leaders are pushing Ottawa to back the long-stalled Energy East oil pipeline project.

The 4,600-kilometre pipeline was first proposed in 2013 as a way to convey crude oil from Alberta across six provinces to an export terminal situated in Saint John, N.B. The project was shelved by TC Energy in 2017 due to regulatory hurdles.

Ninety-seven percent of Canada’s crude oil exports went to the United States in 2023. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have said this leaves Canada vulnerable to potential U.S. tariffs.

Houston and Smith say reviving the pipeline would make the country less reliant on the United States and, therefore, less vulnerable. They said the pipeline would also strengthen Canada’s economy by providing the nation with the opportunity to export its oil to countries abroad.

Quebec Premier François Legault recently said there was “no social acceptability” in his province for the revival of the oil pipeline at the moment, but said it could be reconsidered if U.S. tariffs warrant such a move.

“Of course the economy and what Mr. Trump is doing may change the situation in the future,” he said during a Feb. 3 press conference. “So if there’s a social acceptability, we will be open to these kinds of projects.”

U.S. President Donald Trump recently paused the tariffs he enacted against Canada on Feb. 1 that saw a 10 percent tax levied against all Canadian energy imports. The change came after a deal was reached between the president and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Ottawa would beef up its $1.3 billion border security plan.

The tariffs could still be re-implemented at a later date if Trump is not satisfied with Canada’s progress.