Pumped-up gas prices approaching records in Windsor
Whether you're embarking on a long-weekend getaway or planning to be out running errands, fuelling up might cost more than expected.
Gas prices in Windsor-Essex have risen to an average of 135.5 per litre, according to CAA. And people who spoke to CBC News at the pumps on Thursday were not exactly pumped about the situation.
Mark Dufour Jr. said lately, it costs him $20 or $30 more per tank to fill up.
"They're definitely going up and up," he said of the prices. "They never really go down that much. Usually they're always more expensive on a long weekend," he said.
Marilyn Tshikani said her vehicle is easy on gas, but as a student with a part-time job, she spends less time behind the wheel when prices are up.
"When it's high it is a lot harder for some people," she said.
Kailey Ross said she was waiting for prices to go down before hitting the pumps, but they're not.
"So I get to empty and I'm like OK, well, this is it. It just goes higher if anything," she said.
'It's not going to get better'
Dan McTeague, the president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said the surge is widespread. The cost of gas is nearing record highs across Canada as well as locally.
"We're looking at prices that are approaching some of the highest prices we've seen being paid here in Windsor-Essex, and that's going back to 2008," said McTeague, a former MP for a Toronto-area riding.
In July of that year, the cost hit $1.44 per litre, a record McTeague said was likely to be beaten if not soon then after the winter.
"The bottom line is it's not going to get better for a long time, if it's going to get better at all," he said.
So what's fuelling the pain at the pumps? McTeague said it's a combination of various factors, including Canada's low dollar, a rise in the price of crude oil, the carbon tax, and pent-up demand as the pandemic subsides.
In addition to those elements, the continued closure of the border for all but essential travellers means Windsor-Essex gas stations have less pressure to compete with stateside bargains.
"There's always a little bit of a deal in the United States," he said, adding that average gas prices in Detroit work out to around $1.12 per litre.
