Days after shovels hit the ground in Alberta on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, a new survey suggests the majority of Canadians support the construction of new pipelines.

The survey, commissioned by CTV News and conducted by Nanos Research, polled 1,010 Canadians and found that 42 per cent supported new pipelines while another 23 per cent somewhat supported them.

Just under a third, or 30 per cent, oppose or somewhat oppose pipeline construction. Four per cent of respondents said they were unsure.

In Quebec, more than half of those surveyed oppose or somewhat oppose the idea, while in the Prairies only one in 10 residents oppose or somewhat oppose it.

Millennials were less likely to support pipeline construction, the survey showed. Just over half of those in the 18 to 34 age group support or somewhat support the construction of pipelines, while seven out of 10 of the 35 to 54 age group support or somewhat support it.

For those aged 55 and older, 70 per cent said they support or somewhat support the proposition.

Support for pipelines was somewhat stronger among men. Over half of women said they support or somewhat support the construction of pipelines, while three out of four men support or somewhat support it.

In 2018, the federal government stepped in to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline between Alberta and the British Columbia coast from Kinder Morgan Canada for $4.5 billion. The company and its investors got cold feet about proceeding as political opposition to the pipeline threatened unending delays.

Work to expand the pipeline began this week, with a pledge from the president and chief executive of Trans Mountain, Ian Anderson, telling reporters that the pipe will “be in the ground before Christmas.”

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will hold their first face-to-face meeting since the federal election next week, and pipelines are expected to be high on the agenda.

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