Gas shortage leaves Prairie pumps dry

While some Lethbridge residents plan to just stay put until they can fill up at Petro Canada again, others are looking elsewhere for their fuel.

Petro Canada stations across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are suffering from the shortage.  Supplier Suncor Energy said stations that are dry for now, may not be for long.

“We’re constantly working to replenish it, so while a site might be out right now it might not be out 2 days from now, or even a day from now,” said Nicole Fisher of Suncor Energy. “We are constantly working to replenish it so the list is constantly changing.”

One station in Medicine Hat has reportedly shut off its pumps and one in Taber is unsure how long its supply will last.  As of Friday afternoon, stations in Fort Macleod, Claresholm and Coaldale are able to serve customers. Two Lethbridge Petro Canada locations were also suffering from the shortage and turned customers away from the pump Friday. A third location said it is unsure how long its supply will last.

Faced with the news of choosing a different station, Lethbridge consumers voiced their frustrations.

“I guess it just sucks because I have to drive around and this one’s out of gas.  It just takes more time out of my day without any warning,” said Daylyn Smolenski. “It’s more of a hassle than anything.”

Another resident at the pumps had a similar sentiment.

“It kind of upsets me a little bit because I’m a big Petro Canada gas user. I guess I could go somewhere else but I prefer to be a petro user, when I get gas,” said Troy Dobler.

Suncor Energy said earlier this week unplanned maintenance issues arose while working on the Edmonton refinery, causing the shortage.

While it is working to outsource its supply, there is no set timeline of when the shortage will end.