Quebec drivers flock to Ottawa in search of cheaper gas

Western Quebec residents lined up at Ottawa gas stations on Saturday to take advantage of fuel prices that were between 20 and 40 cents per litre cheaper than in their province.

Several people who spoke to Radio-Canada said they made the journey to Ottawa this weekend just to fill up their tanks.

"Everything is higher [in cost] now, so if we can save money, we will come," said Gatineau, Que., resident Suzanne Tanguay, as she filled up at a Petro-Canada on Montreal Road.

For the first time in six months, prices dropped below $1.60 a litre this weekend, with some Ottawa stations selling gas for as low as $1.54 a litre.

It's a stark drop, given that less than two months ago on June 11, stations in Ottawa hit a record-high price of nearly $2.16 a litre.

Meanwhile, gas prices at some Gatineau stations hovered at about $1.86 a litre on Saturday.

Quebec prices could drop, says expert

According to Jean-Thomas Bernard, a professor at the University of Ottawa with expertise in the analysis of energy markets, distributors of gas in both Quebec and Ontario share the same suppliers, who price them equally.

But in Ontario, the provincial government's decision to cut the gas tax rate from 14.7 cents per litre to nine cents per litre last month has driven down the gas prices across the province.

This means that the margin of profits for Ontario distributors is also reduced, according to Bernard.

"So the distributors in Quebec make more money than the distributors here in Ottawa," he said.

But Gatineau residents may soon no longer need to come to Ottawa for their gas: Bernard said he expects prices in Quebec will come down as distributors try to stay competitive with Ontario and avoid losing customers.

"I think the consumer in Quebec should face a lower price in the not-too-far future," he said.