Canadians deeply divided on how to deal with Coastal GasLink blockades
Credit to Author: Scott Brown| Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 16:30:42 +0000
An Angus Reid poll indicates Canadians are deeply divided over how to deal with mass protests against the Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline project in Northern B.C.
While 46 per cent of respondents said patience and dialogue with those opposed to the project is the best way to resolution, the other half, 53 per cent, believe the blockades should be brought down using whatever force is necessary.
The country-wide protests and blockades — which have targeted rail line, ports, government buildings and major traffic corridors — are being carried out in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs who oppose the construction of the 670-kilometre underground pipeline to ship fracked natural gas to the LNG Canada plant being built in Kitimat. The pipeline is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
Coastal GasLink has promised to spend $1 billion of its $6.6-billion budget on contracts, grants and training opportunities for the 20 First Nations bands along the route that it has signed agreements with.
However, Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs assert title to a vast 22,000-square-kilometre area and say band councils only have authority over reserve lands.
According to the survey, 56 per cent of respondents believe the conflict to be primarily centred around either economic issues or the rule of law, while 44 per cent say the more important aspects in the dispute are either Indigenous or environmental issues.
Angus Reid poll
Regardless of which side they are on, the poll indicates most Canadians agree that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not handled the crisis well. Just one-in-five respondents (21 per cent) believe Trudeau has done a good job.
An overwhelming 80 per cent said that reconciliation between Canada and Indigenous people has been negatively affected by the ongoing events, and 78 per cent believe the blockades have damaged Canada’s reputation as a place for investment.
According to the poll, which was commission and carried out by the Angus Reid Institute, support for the Coastal GasLink project has grown over the past two weeks, from 51 per cent in early February to 61 per cent now.
The poll of 1,501 adults was conducted Feb. 25-26. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5. percentage points, 19 times out of 20.