A new poll shows that most Canadians — including a clear majority in British Columbia — support the idea of building a pipeline from northern Alberta to the province’s north coast, even as political leaders trade barbs over the proposal’s future.The latest Angus Reid Institute survey found 59% of Canadians back the concept of a pipeline to the northwest B.C. coast, with support outweighing opposition in every region. In B.C. itself, 56% favour the idea compared to 33% who oppose it.The results challenge Premier David Eby’s position that such a project remains nothing more than a “pipe dream” — lacking financial support and facing legal barriers, including the federal tanker ban on the coast likely to serve as the pipeline’s endpoint. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has urged Ottawa to lift or carve out an exemption to that ban, saying the project would be vital to Canada’s economic future..While overall support is strong, Canadians are split over who should have the final say. A majority of British Columbians (52%) and Quebecers (57%) say provinces should have veto rights over pipelines crossing their land, while majorities in Alberta (58%) and Saskatchewan (56%) disagree.Support softens when it comes to fast-tracking the project. Fewer respondents said Ottawa should declare it in the “national interest” or speed it through the federal approval process — a sign the country’s complex regulatory environment remains a key obstacle..On the issue of the tanker ban, opinion is also divided. Twenty-three percent of Canadians would lift it entirely, 26% would allow an exception for this project, and 29% want it kept in place. Another 21% are unsure.Even among 2025 Liberal voters, 44% support the idea of the northern pipeline, compared to 36% opposed. But only 39% back fast-tracking it.The survey also signals a larger national shift in priorities. When it comes to energy policy, 57% of Canadians now say economic growth should take precedence over environmental protection — a sharp reversal from 2016 and 2021, when most said the opposite.
