Pain at the pumps

Motorists are not happy and Big Oil is taking the full brunt of their anger after gas prices soared by 10.1 cents a litre to $1.21.9 at most Thunder Bay stations on Thursday.

The line of vehicles at THP Gas Bar and Variety stretched from the pumps to City Road on the Fort William First Nation Friday, as frustrated drivers waited in line up to half an hour for gas priced 20 cents a litre less than at off-reserve stations.

"Downtown they are taking advantage of the price. They are taking advantage of this situation. That’s why people are coming to buy gas here," said Aldo Mascarin, well back in the THP line.

"The prices are way too high. They shouldn’t be that big a difference from down East to up North here. To transport the gas from wherever it comes from, there shouldn’t be that big a difference. Either they’re gouging us or they’re making too much profit."

Current River resident Cathy Milani said the trek to the other side of town is a fiscally responsible move on her part.

"The gas is so high in town that it’s worth it to come out here to fill up," she said. "What are they, $1.22? That’s ridiculous. That’s awful. We’re being gouged. Between the gas and the cigarettes, the government is nickel-and-diming us to death," Milani said.

According to the consumer watchdog website ontariogasprices.com, the national average for a litre of gasoline is $1.07.6. In Toronto gas now averages $1.12 a litre, 4.4 cents more than it was on Thursday.
According to Liberal MP Dan McTeague’s blog, Tomorrow’s Gas Price Today, the increase had little to do with oil and gasoline increases on the New York Mercantile Exchange, attributing 0.5 cents of the increase Torontonians face to market conditions.

"The other 3.9 cents per litre is directly related to the ability of the few refiners Canada has left to take advantage of market enthusiasm," McTeague writes.

Cedar Avenue resident Bill Howe said he won’t pay inflated prices to gas station owners in town when there are other options available.

"They’re all sticking together," he said. "It’s the same price all over town, so obviously there’s some sort of collaboration or something. That’s what I feel, anyway."

With Christmas just three weeks away, Howe said it seemed like nothing more than a cash grab, taking advantage of busier-than-usual streets while people are out shopping and visiting friends and family.
"I think so, yes. Why all of a sudden has it jumped 10 cents a litre in town from a couple of days ago?."

For Kari Ropponen, it’s dollars and cents, nothing more.

"To save $10 to $15 on a fill-up, it’s lots of money," said Ropponen, who has all but given up on getting his gas at city stations. "I just don’t believe in paying the prices there."

Asked where to place the blame, Ropponen said he’s not sure.

"Who knows? Somebody’s making money. I don’t know who. I don’t understand why it has to be so high. Why do we have to pay for it? It has to be a cash grab."