Quebecers Support Revival of Two Oil & Natural Gas Pipelines Amid U.S. Tariffs: POLL

GNL Quebec Revival: Polling

Courtesy of La Presse

Image Translated via Google:

GNL Québec

Do you think reviving the GNL Québec gas pipeline project is desirable?

- Yes: 61% (blue) 

- No: 21% (red) 

- I don’t know / I prefer not to answer: 18% (grey) 

Energy East Revival: Polling

Courtesy of La Presse

Image Translated via Google:

Energy East

Do you think reviving the Energy East pipeline project is desirable?

- Yes: 59% (blue) 

- No: 22% (red) 

- I don’t know / I prefer not to answer: 19% (grey) 

Other Polls Show Same Sentiment Towards Pipelines

Recent polling by the Angus Reid Institute further confirms the growing national consensus on pipeline infrastructure, with 79% of Canadians either “strongly agreeing” or “somewhat agreeing” that Canada needs oil and gas pipelines extending from sea to sea.

This broad support spans across all provinces, including respective polling numbers as follows:

• Alberta: 89%
• Saskatchewan: 86%
• British Columbia: 79%
• Manitoba: 80%
• Ontario: 80%
• Quebec: 74%
• Atlantic: 79%

These findings, combined with the recent SOM-La Presse poll results, paint a clear picture of growing public recognition of oil and natural gas's economic importance to the Canadian economy at large.

Canada’s Decade of Cancelled Projects

Canada Action has long advocated for developing new oil & gas pipelines to help our energy resources reach new markets and maximize the value of our natural resources - like the Trans Mountain Expansion and its massive benefits we’ve seen thus far.

Energy East, which would have transported Western Canadian oil to refineries in Eastern Canada and to New Brunswick for export, was more than just a pipeline – it was a nation-building initiative that would have helped insulate the Canadian economy from an unpredictable U.S. trading relationship. Similarly, the GNL Quebec gas pipeline would have enabled natural gas from Western Canada to reach international markets through the now-cancelled Saguenay LNG facility, diversifying our export opportunities beyond the U.S. market.

These two pipelines are, unfortunately, part of a much larger group of cancelled resource projects over the past decade. Since 2015, Canada saw more than $670 billion in suspended or cancelled natural resource projects across the country, including several transmission pipelines and LNG export facilities.

Canada is at a crossroads: we can either choose to expedite the construction of new pipelines, powerlines, ports, railways, and roads, or continue to suffer the economic fallout of dragging our feet on resource development while other countries move full speed ahead.

Benefits of Building New Oil & Gas Pipelines

Recent polling results are particularly significant given Quebec's historical opposition to pipeline projects. The fact that a clear majority of Quebecers now support these initiatives suggests a new pragmatism in addressing Canada's economic challenges.

This evolving perspective creates an opportunity for constructive, balanced, and fact-based dialogue about how new natural resource projects should be expedited forward for the greater good of Canadians from coast to coast.

For Canadian families and businesses facing economic uncertainty, the development of domestic energy infrastructure offers multiple benefits, including:

#1 - Reduced dependence on foreign energy and enhanced energy security for Canadians from coast to coast, especially for Eastern and Atlantic provinces

#2 - The creation of thousands of well-paying jobs across multiple provinces

#3 - Increased government revenues through additional royalties and taxes to support social programs like healthcare, education, and emergency services

#4 - Greater market access for Canadian resources, helping to maximize the value of our resources while securing our economic independence

#5 - Supporting Indigenous economic reconciliation, with more First Nations looking to energy projects as a means of generating own-source revenues and securing their own independence

Let’s Get to Work

As Canadians navigate a challenging newfound trade relationship with the United States, the ability to transport our resources efficiently across our own country and to new markets abroad becomes increasingly critical.

The support from Quebec for these major infrastructure projects signals a potential pathway forward to get new east-west oil and gas projects built, supporting Canadian economic independence and a stronger, more prosperous future for our families.

It’s time for our country to come together and support resource development that benefits all Canadians. As we move forward, we must build on this momentum through continued dialogue about how these projects can best serve Canadian interests for decades to come.

After all, our long-term economic destiny may very well depend on our ability to seize this nation-building opportunity.

Building pipelines, powerlines, railways, roads and ports will help us attract more job-creating investment into our natural resource production while increasing our ability to trade globally. pic.twitter.com/LsC5i43xuc

— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) February 27, 2025