With thanksgiving right around the corner, many Regina residents will be hitting the road to see family and friends. But with gas prices on the rise, you can expect to pay more at the pumps.
Heading into the long weekend, prices are expected to reach into the mid $1.80’s per litre across the province.
Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst for GasBuddy said the rise in gas prices is primarily due to refinery issues in the United States which have impacted all prairie provinces.
“The Canadian market is essentially tied to that of the U.S,” he said. “And when issues happen there, they tend to spread into other areas of Canada. The two are very much connected. So unfortunately, prices in the prairies, not just Regina, but across really much of the prairies are going up significantly.”
We took to the streets to ask a few Regina residents what they thought of the increase in price and if they have changed their driving habits at all because of it.
For one Regina man, all he could say was, “It’s annoying,” with a sigh. He said he has been searching for deals on other items when he can as more money goes towards gas.
One woman, who lives outside Regina, said, “I am driving less, and we don’t go on holidays. I’m travelling less around, but with work I still have to drive.”
For another Regina resident, she said for her, regardless of the price she still needs fuel. “I need gas, you put it in the car and you pay the price unfortunately.”
The prices seen in Western Canada are all impacted by the midwestern United States while places like Southern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes are impacted by the eastern United States. De Hann said this is why those provinces haven’t seen the same jump in prices.
While Regina residents aren’t happy with a jump in price, it is still far below the record-setting high this past weekend of $2.41.9 cents a litre in Vancouver.
De Hann said gas prices in Saskatchewan could begin to slowly drop as early as next week, but a specific price is unclear at this time.
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