2.64M B.C. drivers still waiting for gas rebate announced in March
Millions of drivers are still waiting for their rebate cheques issued when gas prices reached record highs in British Columbia, and although prices continue to climb, they shouldn't expect anything more in the mail.
Premier John Horgan promised B.C. drivers a bit of help back in the spring. He said the provincial government would send out $110 cheques to most people with auto insurance, an effort to help make ends meet after prices reached all-time highs in February.
The premier said the cheques would be issued through the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. The initiative would cost $396 million.
TIMELINE
Initially, drivers were told to expect their cheques in May into June, but as of the first week of July, millions are still waiting.
In an email to CTV News this week, a spokesperson from ICBC said the rebates started to go out in June, and that nearly 600,000 customers have received their money.
Those who pay for their insurance through direct deposit or credit card got the rebate first, as planned.
Another 260,000 cheques sent by mail have been processed, ICBC said, bringing the total to 860,000.
But millions more are waiting.
ICBC said the total number of relief rebates issued will be about 3.5 million. The latest update suggests 2.64 million haven't received the rebate they were told about in March.
ICBC was asked by CTV News for a timeline for the remainder, but did not provide specifics initially, saying only that another 200,000 cheques are scheduled to go out this week.
In a later email, the Crown corporation said it is on track to send the rest of the cheques by the end of the month.
Prior to that update, this article contained a hypothetical outline of how long it would take if ICBC intended to continue sending 200,000 per week.
In that scenario, it would take 13.2 weeks, meaning some drivers would be waiting until October.
Fortunately for those counting on the money, ICBC says that won't be the case.
ANOTHER REBATE?
At the time, the rebate was first promised, the industry blamed the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the pain at the pumps. The record was then 214.9 cents per litre.
Prices never really went down after that.
Drivers have paid less here and there, but they've also paid more.
Over one weekend in June, gas stations were charging as much as 236.9 cents per litre in the Metro Vancouver area.
Despite the fact that drivers are paying quite a bit more at times than they were in February, when the rebate was announced, there is currently no plan for an additional rebate, ICBC told CTV News.
And so far, the provincial government has not followed the lead of others that have directly intervened with prices.
Last week, Ontario opted to cut the provincial gas tax, causing an 11-cent drop in the per-litre price for gas.
Before that, Alberta took the step of halting its gas tax of 13 cents per litre in March, in an effort to help drivers struggling with the costs.
In B.C., no action has been taken beyond what the province said was a one-time rebate cheque, which drivers criticized as potentially not even covering one tank of gas, depending on the vehicle.
The unprecedented gas prices also didn't change a plan from the government to increase the provincial carbon tax on April 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.