Canadians not getting memo on pipelines, study finds
OTTAWA— The federal government has commissioned research that found many Canadians know little about major pipeline projects and believe Alberta gets most of the economic benefits from the oil and gas industry. The research, which cost $144,000 and was conducted by Ipsos-Reid in January, was based on group interviews in five cities: Mississauga, Moncton, Quebec City, Vancouver and Kamloops. The Harper government overhauled Canada’s environmental laws in 2012, partly in response to lobbying from oil, gas and pipeline companies that asked for less federal oversight and faster approvals of major projects, like the Northern Gateway pipeline. The government has also spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising to promote these industries, arguing that they are critical to the Canadian economy.
But the research suggests the government’s message hasn’t gotten through.
“Few participants mention pipelines on an unprompted basis when discussing Canada’s natural resources,” said the report submitted to the government by Ipsos-Reid.
“When asked whether they had heard anything recently about pipeline initiatives, many participants said they had.
“However, knowledge was generally limited and non-specific with most participants expressing a lack of clear information.”
The research also found that Canadians mainly had concerns about jobs, health care and the environment, but didn’t necessarily see economic opportunities from the oil and gas industry.
“Many participants say that the economic benefits from the oil and gas sector primarily accrue to Alberta, where much of the oilsands activity happens,” said the report.