‘It’s pretty bad’: Metro Vancouver gas prices hit drivers, soar across Canada

Many people across Metro Vancouver were in for major sticker shock while filling up their cars over the weekend, as gas prices soared into never-before-seen territory.

The price at the pump broke the $2.20 mark for a litre of regular through Saturday and Sunday. This is after records were once again broken Friday, with a rise of about five cents a litre.

According to GasBuddy, the average price for a litre of regular Sunday was $2.18, based on a survey of more than 420 gas stations in Vancouver.

That’s more than 64 cents higher than the same day last year, and about 24 cents higher than a month ago.

“Scary” was the word some people threw around while filling up their vehicles over the past few days. And Metro Vancouver isn’t the only region experiencing a spike in prices.

Nationally, the average increase was about 9.4 cents a litre to about $1.89.

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Across Canada, some people have had to come up with creative or new options to get some sense of relief.

“I’ve considered leaving the job site I’m on, finding a new one where I know a couple of other guys are coming down just to carpool, save some money,” one man told CityNews. “It’s pretty bad.”

In Vancouver, some e-bike shops have seen a spike in sales as the price of gas continues to climb, with some people ditching traditional vehicles for something a little easier on the wallet.

Meanwhile, if drivers were hoping for some easing of prices — hold on. Some analysts don’t foresee that happening, at least for now, and instead have reason to believe prices could jump another 10 cents by the May long weekend.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is a major factor in the pressure on prices. However, some experts say even if the war comes to an end in the near future, prices will remain high due to ongoing sanctions against Russia.

Several factors at play

Metro Vancouverites also continue to pay some of the highest fuel taxes across Canada, including a TransLink tax to help fund transit initiatives and local infrastructure.

Many have questioned the action being taken by the B.C. government, which has opted to provide a one-time rebate to insured drivers. The BC NDP has continued to stand by its decisions, also pointing to external factors as the reason for the ever-increasing price of gas.

The B.C. Liberals argue there are options the province could take to ease the pain being felt by drivers, even if there are challenges beyond provincial control.

“Certainly, the war in Ukraine has created price pressures. But we’re seeing $1.50/litre in Washington state and we’re seeing $1.40 a litre in Alberta right now,” Liberal finance critic Peter Milobar said on Friday.

B.C. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston has said the province continues to examine its options. However, he believes the $110 rebate isn’t something that should be dismissed.

“That’s some relief. Certainly doesn’t compensate for the complete rise in the price, which is unprecedented. But we’re examining all options that we have available to us, every tool in the tool kit,” said Ralston.

However, cutting taxes on gas that help pay for TransLink and road maintenance isn’t an option the NDP government is looking at right now.

“What the economists tell us is that if we were to take away those taxes, the oil companies would step in and scoop that money too. So it’s not a solution that works,” said Ralston.

-With files from Liza Yuzda, Andrew Cowie, and Michael Williams