BC Opposition to Pipelines - Solid and Building

A new poll has discovered that British Columbians take bitumen pipelines very, very seriously.   In fact, the pipelines come second only to the economy in priority and  even ahead of healthcare.

“It is very unusual to see a single issue top health care or come so close to tying with the economy as the most pressing issue in B.C.,” said Stratcom president Bob Penner, who was hired by the anti-pipeline Living Oceans Society to survey attitudes on pipeline matters. “This has become a critical issue in B.C.”

The telephone survey began with an open-ended question: “What, in your opinion, is the most important issue facing British Columbians today?”

The economy got the nod from 14.9 per cent of respondents, while pipelines and tankers was a close second at 14.1 per cent. Health care was third at 12.2 per cent.

The provincewide online survey of 1,012 British Columbians, done August 8-10, found that 60 per cent of respondents opposed the Northern Gateway project, compared to 20 per cent in favour. The rest were either neutral or wouldn’t say.

That same poll found that 50 per cent were against Kinder Morgan’s project, compared to 22 per cent in support.

With barely one out of five supporting the bitumen pipelines, opposition is firming up and growing.   The rest of Canada may be content to gauge the pipeline according to its supposed economic importance to the country but British Columbians believe the safety and environmental dangers in our home province trump economic development elsewhere.  It's our province and we'll decide what happens here.  You're just going to have to live with that.