Canadians Prefer Government Retention of Trans Mountain Pipeline, Poll Shows

According to data from the Angus Reid Institute, more than half of Canadians think the federal government should retain the Trans Mountain Expansion Project rather than sell it to private investors. The online survey of 2,649 adults, carried out from July 10-14, shows 54% favor public ownership versus 23% who would prefer a sale to recoup taxpayer money. Regional backing varies, with Atlantic Canada at 62% and Quebec at 44%, while all former party voters express a majority preference for keeping the pipeline under government control.

Attitudes toward public infrastructure have softened, as 56% now see a role for government in pipeline ownership, up from earlier years, particularly among past Conservative supporters. CDEV president and CEO Elizabeth Wademan, speaking at a Toronto luncheon, highlighted the pipeline’s “incredible value” and urged that it stay in Canadian hands. The findings come as the government debates whether to remain a long-term holder or eventually divest to private, Indigenous, or mixed buyers.