THUNDER BAY – Gas prices have jumped by almost ten cents per litre in the past eight days in Thunder Bay. The highest price for a litre of regular gasoline in the city is $.959. (Gas Buddy)
By contrast, a litre of gasoline is 70 cents in Winnipeg, and Toronto.
On May 2, 2020 during the Premier of Ontario’s press conference, NetNewsLedger asked the Premier about the high prices of gasoline in Northern Ontario.
Premier Doug Ford says that “It’s totally unfair that you’re paying 90-some-odd cents in Thunder Bay and Kenora in other places, but in urban areas, you’re paying 70 cents.”
The obviously very concerned and upset Premier added, “Are the gas companies just trying to gouge people?”
Premier Ford says that the Province of Ontario is well aware of this situation and that Minister of Energy Greg Rickford is working toward solutions.
“We have Minister of Energy, Greg Rickford, all over this,” said Ford. “We are going to get an explanation from the gas companies for this because it’s absolutely unacceptable people are paying 20 or 30 percent more in Thunder Bay, Kenora and other regions.”
Ford vows “We’ll get to the bottom of this. We’re already all over this, and there’s no better person than Minister Rickford, he is on it, I promise you.”
Energy Minister Greg Rickford has been working on this for some time as gas prices in Northern Ontario have often been far higher than in the rest of the province.
From Saturday to Thursday, prices at the pump have jumped from 83.6 cents per litre to 91.9 per litre.
On Thursday, the price of a barrel of oil on the Canadian Crude Index is $13.45 up $3.91, and the price of a barrel of Western Canadian Select is $11.56 up $2.72 in trading.
For the latest and lowest gas prices in the region visit Gas Buddy on NetNewsLedger.
