By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Southern residents less favourable toward carbon levy, OHV restrictions

Oct 16, 2017 | 10:10 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Southern Albertans appear least-inclined to support greater restrictions on off-highway vehicle use in public areas, and are also more opposed to the provincial government’s carbon levy program than people in the larger centres, according to a new survey.

The October 2017 Alberta Public Opinion Study, released over the weekend, found 59.5 per cent of people surveyed oppose the carbon plan, down from 67.2 per cent one year ago. Details about the rebate portion of the program were released in the interval between the two studies.

Southern Alberta was 64.2 per cent opposed, while the northern region was 66.6 per cent against it, and 58 per cent opposition was found in Calgary. Only Edmonton respondents showed a slim majority in support, at 51.1 per cent.

In a separate question, 44.1 per cent of respondents called for additional restrictions on off-highway vehicle use in public use areas, while another 11 percent favoured an outright ban; 25.1 per cent were in favour of the status quo, 13.7 per cent for reduced restrictions, and 6.1 per cent for no restrictions whatsoever.

In southern Alberta, only 44.2 per cent were in favour of either greater restrictions or an outright ban, compared to 58 per cent in the north, 57.5 per cent in Calgary, and 62.7 per cent in Edmonton.

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Respondents were also asked about restrictions on random camping. Greater restrictions were favoured by 42 per cent of respondents. Again this number was lowest in the southern region, with 36.9 per cent, 41.2 per cent in the north, 43.9 per cent in Calgary, and 46.7 per cent in Edmonton.

Lethbridge College students supervised by Dr. Faron Ellis, research chair of the Citizen Society Research Lab, surveyed 1,481 Alberta adults on both the issue of the carbon levy and rebate program, and on restrictions on OHV usage and random camping on public lands.

The survey was conducted by telephone between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.55 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.