Two-thirds of B.C. residents oppose museum project after government 'stepped in the glue,' pollsters say

Weeks after B.C.’s premier first admitted the announcement of a planned museum replacement “landed with a thud,” an opinion poll has found the majority of residents are against the controversial project. 

A whopping 69 per cent of respondents in the Angus Reid Institute survey oppose the $789 million rebuilding of the Royal B.C. Museum, while just 22 per cent support it. 

The non-profit public opinion research foundation pointed out the pricey project is an easy target for frustration at a time record inflation is making everything from gas to groceries increasingly unaffordable, and as seismic upgrades for schools are being delayed and one in five citizens cannot find a family doctor.

“(The public is asking) ‘Why are you spending almost a billion dollars on this at a time we're really struggling with other priorities?’” said Angus Reid president Shachi Kurl. “They famously like to say they don't pay attention to polls, but I think they know they've stepped in the glue on this one.”

The provincial government has made several attempts to justify the sticker shock of what is now the most expensive museum project in Canada, with the premier admitting the timing wasn’t good and that he recognizes the backlash.

“I very much regret that it landed with a thud,” said John Horgan on May 19, calling the project a political football. “The response has been profound and we accept that.” 

Horgan’s approval rating has also suffered, but there is a silver lining for him and his government: the B.C. Liberal Party’s new leader isn’t seeing a bump in support amid the backlash. 

The same poll, in the form of an online survey that ran June 7 to 13 “among a representative randomized sample of 615 B.C. adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum,” found that only 23 per cent of respondents view Kevin Falcon favourably or very favourably; a full third had no opinion of him.

In comparison, 48 per cent said they approve or very much approve of Horgan, with 47 per cent saying they disapprove or very much disapprove.

“By and large the public seems to be focusing opposition on the museum itself, and the government and premier have only taken small hits here," pointed out Hamish Telford, a political science professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.

He expects the NDP to wait out the summer and see if the controversy blows over or if voters can be directed to focus on a fresh agenda in the fall. He also suggested the Liberals have to be careful or Falcon’s focus on the museum could spell trouble for them.

“He still has work to do to connect with the public and this might be the way to do it,” said Telford. “Or maybe after a while people will think he's flogging a dead horse and has to get onto more serious issues to make more headway against a relatively popular government."