Despite the construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline in British Columbia being approved by the local band councils whose territory the pipeline passes through, hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in British Columbia oppose.
As the indigenous blockade of key transportation corridors in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Nation continues for another week. On Wednesday, Ipsos published a poll conducted exclusively for Global News about the demonstrations that revolve around the construction of a natural gas pipeline in northern B.C. and which have gripped the country for weeks.
The poll posed a great opportunity to put to rest alot of issues, especially after Andrew Scheer made his way back to the front page of the newspaper with his speech, which has been condemned by some party leaders.
The Poll
Opinion about the ongoing protests is divided sharply along demographic fault lines: Canadians aged 18-34 (58%), women (43%), residents of Quebec (47%) and Ontario (45%) are more likely to see the protests as justified.
Those aged 55+ (71%), men (65%), and residents of Alberta (76%), the Prairies (72%), and BC (71%) are more inclined to disagree.
Response to blockade
A majority (53%) of Canadians support (27% strongly/26% somewhat) intervention by police to end the blockade of key transportation corridors by indigenous protestors, while three in ten (28%) oppose (12% strongly/16% somewhat) police intervention. Two in ten (19%) Canadians don’t know.
The East-West Divide
An east-west divide is again in evidence: support for police intervention is highest in BC (68%) and Alberta (69%), followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba (61%), trailing in Atlantic Canada (55%), Ontario (48%) and Quebec (42%).
Conversely, opposition towards the use of police to end the blockade is highest in Quebec (38%), followed by Ontario (29%), Atlantic Canada (24%), BC (22%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (21%) and Alberta (15%).
Likewise, Canadians aged 35-54 (32%) and 18-34 (31%) are most opposed to police intervention, while those 55 and over are more supportive (66%).
A majority (53%) of Canadians support (27% strongly/26% somewhat) intervention by police to end the blockade is a reflection that Andrew Scheer had the highest popular votes in the last election.
