A clear majority of Canadians support the concept of building a new major oil pipeline from Alberta to the northern coast of British Columbia, according to a fresh public opinion survey. However, enthusiasm within the province that would host the project is significantly more muted, highlighting a familiar national divide on energy infrastructure.
National Backing Meets Provincial Skepticism
The poll, conducted by the Angus Reid Institute and released on Thursday, December 2, 2025, found that 60 per cent of people across the country are in favour of the hypothetical pipeline project. The findings arrived just hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith formalized a cooperative energy agreement in Calgary.
That memorandum of understanding, signed on November 27, is designed to pave the way for more Alberta oil to reach tidewater and access markets in Asia via a proposed one-million-barrel-per-day conduit. While national sentiment leans positive, support in British Columbia is notably softer. The poll indicates 53 per cent of B.C. residents support the pipeline, while 37 per cent oppose it.
Deal Sparks Consultation Concerns
The federal-provincial agreement between Ottawa and Alberta did not emerge in a vacuum. Rumours of an impending deal had circulated for weeks prior to the official announcement, a process that drew sharp criticism from B.C. Premier David Eby and several Indigenous groups.
These leaders expressed frustration at being left out of the consultation process while the two governments negotiated. Premier Eby voiced specific concerns, warning that the large-scale pipeline project must not become an "energy vampire" that could drain financial and political resources from other provincial priorities.
The Road Ahead for Energy Corridors
The poll results and the political reactions underscore the enduring complexity of building major energy projects in Canada. While there appears to be broad national appetite for the economic benefits of exporting resources to new markets, tangible projects inevitably face intense scrutiny and opposition from the regions most directly impacted.
The data presents a challenging landscape for policymakers: navigating strong interprovincial partnerships, like the one between Carney and Smith, while also addressing the legitimate environmental, economic, and consultation concerns raised by local communities and Indigenous nations along the proposed route.
