A new Insights West poll on the Northern Gateway pipeline shows that concern about the rights of First Nations regarding the project is rising.
Insights West’s, Mario Canseco says the survey shows support for the pipeline has dropped slightly while support for First Nations has come out stronger.
“That was very interesting. the first time we asked about this the idea of engaging with First Nations was not really top of mind…and now we have a situation where the worry about its impact on First Nations communities is (stronger).”
Canseco says the poll says 71 per cent of residents regard the project as an infringement on First Nations rights and 68 per cent worry about the impact the pipeline would have on local Aboriginal communities.
“To have two thirds of them saying that you cannot go through with this unless you engage properly and make sure that every First Nation along the route is essentially taken care of is not something that we expected. That’s a number that started in the thirties and it’s now at 68 per cent. So in that sense the First Nations have done a much better job than Enbridge at communicating their worries.”
According to the poll 49 per cent of residents are now opposed to Northern Gateway.
Canseco says Insights West had expected support to rise a little after the federal approval but it is actually down two per cent since November.
Alberta’s support of the pipeline remains much stronger with 65 per cent of residents in support of the pipeline.