Executive Summary • •
• • •
• • • •
3
200 interviews were conducted by telephone between July 20 and July 22, 2010 – 100 in each of Williams Lake and 100 Mile House. Awareness of the issue is extremely high in Williams Lake – but is considerably lower in 100 Mile House More than twice as many people want the federal cabinet to approve the mine (61%) as do not want it approved (26%). A plurality of all demographics want the mine approved. Support for the project increases with age. Based on how people voted in the last federal election a significant majority of Conservatives and Liberals support approval, as a do a majority of NDP voters 81% see positive economic impacts from the mine, but 54% see negative environmental impacts. A plurality (43%) think the project will have a positive economic impact but a negative environmental impact. These people are more likely to be younger men and middle-aged women as well as Conservative voters. A clear majority say that the economic and social benefits outweigh the loss of the lake. In terms of mining development in the Cariboo, a majority prefer more jobs even if it means negative environmental impacts. This view is more common among men as well as Conservatives, but even two in five NDP voters agree.