Prowling the Pumps – May 6, 2008
May 6, 2008
On the case, lurking at service stations across the country to find the lowest and highest gasoline prices in Canada.
Average across Canada
| This week: | $1.245 per litre |
| Last week: | $1.245 per litre |
No change from last week, but with oil prices climbing (soaring? skyrocketing?) to more than $120 per barrel, big changes in gas prices are on the horizon.
Least Expensive Gasoline in Canada (per litre)
| Excluding Taxes | Taxes | Total | |
| Kingston, ON | $0.855 | $0.302 | $1.157 |
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON | $0.878 | $0.304 | $1.182 |
| St. Catharines, ON | $0.886 | $0.304 | $1.190 |
| Windsor, ON | $0.901 | $0.305 | $1.206 |
| Peterborough, ON | $0.912 | $0.305 | $1.217 |
The five cities boasting the least expensive gas in Canada are all in Ontario — seems to be THE province to live in for cheap gas! Kingston tops our list for the third week in a row, and for the first time, Edmonton is out of the running. And to make matters worse for the rest of us, prices actually declined slightly in St. Catharines, Windsor and Peterborough.
It’s all a matter of throughput efficiencies. Gas prices will be lower where the most gas is sold, and southern Ontario has a sizeable population (+5.1 million) as well as proximity to refineries. And with so much gas being sold, local price wars could also benefit the consumer.
Most Expensive Gasoline in Canada (per litre)
| Excluding Taxes | Taxes | Total | |
| Yellowknife, NT | $1.136 | $0.275 | $1.411 |
| Labrador City, NL | $0.984 | $0.427 | $1.411 |
| Whitehorse, YT | $1.142 | $0.227 | $1.169 |
| Gander, NL | $0.932 | $0.421 | $1.353 |
| Fort St. John, BC | $1.042 | $0.310 | $1.352 |
Once again, Yellowknife and Labrador City tied for the most expensive gas in the country, and Whitehorse claimed third spot despite prices remaining unchanged from last week in all three cities. Fort St. John and Gander are new to the pricey five.
Again, high taxes hurt Labrador City and Gander. Interesting to note Whitehorse has the lowest taxes in Canada. But small populations and isolation don’t make for cheap gas.
One analyst is predicting $200 per barrel oil within the next two years; but seeing as prices have almost doubled since this time last year, I’m thinking two years is optimistic. Time to take transit, or move to Kingston!
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