The majority of Canadians believe the safest way to transport oil and natural gas in Canada is via pipelines, according to a new CTV News/Nanos Research survey.

The survey shows that 53 per cent of Canadians think it’s possible, and 31 per cent believe it’s somewhat possible, for the country to transport its energy resources while protecting the environment.

Additionally, 70 per cent of respondents said that pipelines were the most appropriate and safest mode of transport for energy products.

When respondents were asked what mode of transport of oil and natural gas they believe is the most appropriate and safest for Canada, respondents said:

Pipelines: 70 per cent

Unsure:16 per cent

Rail cars: 8 per cent

Truck transport: 4 per cent

Tanker ships: 1 per cent

“Considering how controversial pipelines have been in the news, it’s really quite striking that although people might not like pipelines, they’re very likely to think that they’re safe compared to other alternatives to pipelines, by a significant margin,” said Nik Nanos of Nanos Research.

“So in terms of the dialogue that we’re having nationally about pipelines, it’s easy to say that you don’t like pipelines, but it’s pretty clear that when we look at the alternatives, Canadians don’t like those alternatives even more.”

The numbers come as Kinder Morgan waits to find out if the National Energy Board will give its Trans Mountain pipeline expansion the green light.

The $7-billion project involves twinning an existing pipeline that spans from Edmonton to the suburbs of Vancouver.

On Wednesday, the Conservatives demanded that the federal government commit to building pipelines if the project is approved.

“Will the prime minister finally assure all of us that if the National Energy Board approves Trans Mountain and Energy East, he will also approve them,” Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose said during question period.

“What we need is a government that actually restores public confidence and gets our resource to market in responsible, sustainable ways.”

Provincial power to stop pipelines

The survey also showed that 38 per cent of Canadians disagree that provinces should be able to stop plans for a national infrastructure project, such as a pipeline.

However, Nanos pointed out that nearly 48 per cent of respondents in Quebec, and more than 58 per cent in British Columbia, agreed that provinces should be able to halt plans.

“So, what’s very clear is that for any kind of project that goes through those provinces, there’s a significant level of resistance and belief that a province can have the right to block a project,” Nanos said.

He added: “What the survey suggests is that when the premiers of Quebec and British Columbia engage on pipelines projects, they’re actually reflecting the views of the people in their province.”

Alternative energy use

The survey also found majority support for providing government incentive programs for alternative energy use.

Nearly nine out of 10 Canadians, the survey found, either support or somewhat support the federal government offering incentives to Canadians to use alternative energy sources such as electric cars or solar panels.

“I think the reality is that people are consumers – if alternative energy is priced in a way that makes it attractive to consumers, they would prefer that over traditional sources of energy,” Nanos said. “I think when people hear about alternative energy, they think about energy bets of the future.”

Satisfaction of regulatory bodies

When asked about their level of satisfaction with the job government regulatory agencies are doing to protect public safety when it comes to transporting oil and natural gas, 18 per cent of Canadians said they were satisfied, while 34 per cent said they were somewhat satisfied. Another eighteen percent said that they were dissatisfied, while 22 per cent said they were somewhat dissatisfied.

Methodology: The CTV News/Nanos Research survey was conducted between March 31 and April 4. It was a random survey of 1,000 Canadians, and is accurate to 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.