By Kendall Robertson

Gas prices on the rise, again…

Apr 4, 2019 | 3:24 PM

PRINCE GEORGE- Gas prices hitting an all-time high today in the southern part of the province… getting as high as 1.63 a liter. In Prince George, gas sitting just under 1.30 and it seems the prices have been getting more and more expensive in recent months. That’s something being felt by local businesses who make their money while on the road. Red Spade Enterprises owner, Jesse Cody, says if he wasn’t getting his fuel at a wholesale price he believes he would be out of business. His freight company has 19 pieces of equipment that travel about 100 thousand kilometers a month. There are some instances when his employees can’t buy fuel at the wholesale price and that has forced him to make some tough decisions. “We actually had a route that we’ve had to cut recently,” he said. 

Senior Gas Analyst with GasBuddy.com, Dan McTeague, says there are a few things to blame on the high prices. In the lower mainland, gas comes from refineries in Washington state and two of them are running on reduced capacity which is creating a shortage. McTeague also says the TransMountain pipeline can’t carry enough to meet the current demand. In Prince George, we don’t share the same problem as those in the south, as we get our gas from Alberta. Our federal and provincial taxes are to blame for our high prices and he says it could get worse in the coming weeks.