Sixty-one per cent of B.C. residents support Enbridge's Westcoast natural gas expansion

A majority of B.C. residents are on board with the federal plan to move ahead with Enbridge’s Westcoast LNG pipeline expansion, according to new data from the Angus Reid Institute . This support is evidence of the changing landscape of support for pipelines in Canada’s most western province, says ARI.

There is majority support for the Westcoast LNG pipeline expansion across the country (55 per cent) and in B.C. (61 per cent). Support outnumbers opposition by three to one, according to ARI’s data.

The federal government approved a $4-billion expansion of the southern portion of Enbridge’s Westcoast natural gas pipeline system in April. The pipeline carries natural gas from northeastern B.C. to consumers and businesses in the province’s Lower Mainland.

“There is also a desire for more,” says a May 11 statement released by Angus Reid with the new data. “Half (48 per cent) in Canada, and more than two-in-five (46 per cent) in B.C., believe the federal government is ‘doing too little to build new pipeline capacity.’”

Nationally, three in ten (31 per cent) say the federal government’s approach is about right, while one in five (21 per cent) say there is too much of a focus on building pipelines.

The number of respondents who are in opposition has shrunk by six points compared to 2019, says Angus Reid, when the Trans Mountain expansion was under debate.

“Since 2019, there has been a major shift in priorities for Canadians when it comes to energy policy,” ARI says. “At that time, more believed in protecting the environment (55 per cent) as a priority over focusing on economic growth (45 per cent).”

Now, according to ARI’s latest data, three in five say growing the economy should be the bigger focus.

In B.C., the proportion of residents who oppose pipelines has shrunk over time, notes ARI. In the 2010s there were repeated majorities opposed to pipelines such as Northern Gateway (2012, 57 per cent) and the Trans Mountain expansion (2014, 54 per cent).

But the more recent ARI data also shows that British Columbians are much more accepting of pipelines. A majority (55 per cent) even said in February 2025 they would support a revival of Northern Gateway. A similar pipeline project, proposed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, starting in Alberta and travelling through northern B.C., was supported by 56 per cent and opposed by 33 per cent.

“Priorities have shifted significantly since then, especially in the wake of the economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump,” says Angus Reid.

Now, three in five (61 per cent) Canadians believe economic growth should be a bigger priority over environmental protection. Only two in five (39 per cent) believe it should be the other way around.

“That’s a reversal from last November,” says ARI, “when 63 per cent favoured environmental protection over 37 per cent who favoured economic growth.”

This dramatic turnaround is illustrated by numbers across the country. The largest shifts are in Manitoba (24 points) and Quebec (24 points), says ARI.

Perhaps most interesting is that opinions about whether the federal government is doing enough about pipelines hasn’t changed. In January 2019, 50 per cent of Canadians said the federal government under Justin Trudeau was doing too little. A similar number (48 per cent) now says the same of the Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Meanwhile, there has been a six point decline in the proportion of Canadians who believe the federal government is pushing new pipelines too hard; 27 per cent in 2019 to 21 per cent now.

The decline in those who say the federal government is focusing too much on building new pipelines is evident in B.C. In 2019, almost two in five (37 per cent) B.C. residents believed the federal government was doing too much on the pipeline file. It’s down to one quarter (23 per cent) now.

This varies with responses from Alberta residents, where the majority who believe Ottawa is not doing enough on pipelines has shrunk since 2019, from four in five (83 per cent) to two thirds (64 per cent).

• Bryan Brulotte: Europe wants our energy. Ottawa must act now
• John Ivison: Carney may finally be unhitching Liberals from Guilbeault’s hardcore eco-activism

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.