Polling Throughout 2025 Shows Canadians Want Oil & Gas Development in 2026 and Beyond

Polling Throughout 2025 Shows Canadians Want Oil & Gas Development in 2026 and Beyond

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POLL 2025 shows most Canadians support oil and gas development cover v2

In 2025, a strong majority of Canadians across multiple polls sent a clear message: they overwhelmingly support oil and gas development, including new and expanded pipelines, to secure our economic future. It’s clear that from coast to coast, Canadians recognize that oil and gas remains critical to jobs, government revenues, and our collective prosperity. This broad, consistent support indicates that advancing energy development is a mainstream view among Canadians nationwide, and that government and industry should collaborate in 2026 and beyond to ensure that major projects are built expeditiously, as they have an irreplaceable impact on the economy at large.

Below, we examine several polls conducted in 2025 that show widespread support for Canada to assume an increasingly important role as a conventional energy supplier to the world, along with the source, date, and top three results from each poll.

(1) Most Canadians support oil and gas expansion

Ipsos, December 2025  – Key Results:

  • 83% of Canadians agree that Canada should focus on expanding oil and gas exports to other countries beyond the United States
  • 72% of Canadians support expanding the output capacity of current pipeline infrastructure
  • 68% of Canadians support building a new oil pipeline to the northern coast of British Columbia

(2) Majority of Ontarians support oil & gas development

Nanos, December 2025 - Key Results:

  • 84% of Ontarians believe oil & gas revenues are important for creating jobs for Canadians and building a stronger economy.
  • 80% of Ontarians support Canada developing a national strategy to become a preferred oil supplier to countries abroad
  • 80% of Ontarians support Canada supplying oil and gas as long as it continues to be a major source of energy worldwide

(3) More than seven-in-ten Canadians support new pipelines to the East Coast and British Columbia

Ipsos, December 2025  – Key Results:

  • 75% of Canadians support the construction of new pipelines to the East Coast and British Columbia
  • 71% of Canadians find the approval process for major projects is too long and should be reformed
  • 67% of Quebecers support the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant project in Quebec’s North Shore region, including the natural gas pipeline to provide supply

(4) Most Canadians support oil and gas exports to strengthen energy security

Nanos, August 2025 - Key Results:

  • 84% of Canadians rate oil and gas as important to Canada’s current economy – a marginal decrease from the previous polling wave in February 2025 (88%)
  • 72% of Canadians agree on expanding oil and natural gas exports for global energy security – the highest since tracking began
  • 67% of Canadians view oil and gas as important to Canada’s future economy – relatively consistent with the previous polling wave also in February 2025 (70%)

(5) Majority of Canadians support new pipelines, power lines, ports, railways, roads

Privy Council Office, September 2025  – Key Results:

  • 88% of Canadians support new hydroelectricity projects 
  • 65% of Canadians support new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals 
  • 70% of Canadians support new or expanded oil pipelines 
  • 82% of Canadians support new highways 
  • 78% of Canadians support port expansion 

(6) Majority of Canadians support pipelines to the east and west coasts

Environics, July 2025 – Key Results:

  • 73% of Canadians support building new pipelines to both the west and east coasts 
  • 72% of Canadians believe new pipelines and other important goals can be balanced (read report for clarification) 
  • 65% of Canadians approve of government plans to shorten and streamline approval timelines for major energy projects

(7) Canada is the preferred oil supplier among G7 nations

 Ipsos, June 2025  – Key Results:

  • Canada is the top preferred oil supplier among G7 countries, appearing in the top three 68% of the time – more than any other supplier.
  • Across the G20, Canada ranked second for being in the top three the most often, underscoring its broad appeal due to political stability, reliable supply, regulatory measures, and strong trade ties.

(8) Oil & Gas Critically Important to Canada’s Current & Future Economy

Nanos, March 2025  – Key Results:

  • 88% of Canadians rate oil and natural gas as important to Canada’s current economy, up from 79% in August 2024
  • 70% of Canadians say oil and natural gas are essential to Canada’s future economy, up 11% from August 2024
  • 62% of Canadians agree that Canada should expand oil and gas exports to help the world have more secure energy supplies, up 10% from January 2024

(9) Supermajority of Canadians Support Oil & Gas Development

Yorkville Strategies, March 2025  – Key Results:

  • 96% of Canadians want to diversify Canada’s trading partners 
  • 95% support buying Canadian-made products and services 
  • 91% say Canada should expand its ability to export oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) 
  • 89% now want to build more refineries and LNG terminals 
  • 84% support a new Energy East pipeline from Alberta to the Maritimes

(10) Quebecers Support Revival of Two Oil & Gas Pipelines Amid U.S. Tariffs

SOM-La Presse, February 2025  – Key Results:

  • 61% of Quebecers are in favour of rekindling the GNL Quebec gas pipeline
  • 59% of Quebecers would now say yes to reviving the Energy East pipeline project

(11) Eight-in-ten Canadians say Canada needs oil & gas pipelines sea-to-sea

Angus Reid, February 2025  – Key Results:

  • 79% of Canadians say Canada needs to ensure it has oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country
  • 80% of Ontarians agree
  • 76% of British Columbians agree
  • 74% of Quebecers agree

The World Needs More Canadian Energy

All public polling above points in the same direction: Canadians want oil and gas development to secure jobs, diversify our trade, and ensure a prosperous future for our families. But to do so, we have to move from talk to action on new projects. 

Canadians support new pipelines, LNG terminals, and related infrastructure because they understand these projects underpin our economic security today and in the decades ahead. They also know that when the world needs oil and gas, it is far better that those barrels come from a producer like Canada, with rigorous regulations and a democratically produced supply that carries significantly less geopolitical risk.

But broad public support alone is not enough. If we allow delays, red tape, and political gridlock to continue to stall investment, as we’ve seen over the past decade, we risk seeing opportunity, jobs, and government revenues slip from Canadians' hands and flow elsewhere abroad.

Now is the time for Canadian governments to take action and reform self-imposed regulatory barriers, work with private industry to attract capital investment, and help get major projects over the finish line. By doing so, we can strengthen our economy, support Indigenous and local communities, and build a strong, prosperous future for all Canadians.

Global oil and gas demand is growing. The world needs more Canadian-made energy – that means taking action today to ensure we don’t get left behind.