Get ready to pay more for gas

VANCOUVER -

Get ready to pay more at the pump. Tax increases are on the way. People living in Metro Vancouver already pay the highest gas prices in the country. Prices are more than $1.60 at some stations. Online gas price tracker website, GasBuddy, found the average price in Vancouver on October 6 was $159.00.

Here's how the rest of the country stacks up.

• $1.59 per litre in Vancouver

• $1.46 per litre in Montreal

• $1.42 per litre in Winnipeg

• $1.40 per litre in Toronto

• $1.37 per litre in Halifax

• $1.36 per litre in Regina

• $1.36 per litre in Calgary

(Source: GasBuddy) 

"In many provinces the tax bill makes up more than a third of the price at the pump. So for politicians to provide relief, to make life more affordable for Canadians and drivers they need to provide some tax relief at the pumps," Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says combined taxes at the pump make up about 31 to 42 per cent of the price, depending on where you live. In addition, there's another increase in tax headed our way with a second round of carbon taxes. CTF estimates that within 10 years Canadians will be paying about $.40 per litre in carbon tax.

"The carbon tax is a tax plan; it's not an environmental plan. We've seen in British Columbia, which has had the highest carbon tax, we've seen its emissions continue to go up," Terrazzano added.

 

                  Google strives to be environmentally conscious

Google has rolled out some new features to help you lower your carbon footprint. When you use Google Flights, you can look for routes with the lowest carbon dioxide emissions. Some of the factors taken into account, include shorter flights and fuel-efficient aircraft. Hotels on Google's booking site can also opt in to reveal details about their sustainability efforts.

In addition, Google Maps will show alternative driving routes to save fuel. It will roll out in the U.S. on October 6 and in Europe next year. Maps will default to the lowest carbon option. The tech giant has also committed to using carbon free energy by 2030 and will be changing Google search features for things like cars and appliances, to display suggestions for energy efficient options.

 

                  Streaming overtakes traditional TV during pandemic

Canadians like to stream and according to a new survey, 80 per cent did during the pandemic compared to 75 per cent paying for traditional TV services. The survey conducted by streaming service Roku indicates that top factor for streaming is access to a new movie release. However, sports viewing on traditional TV is still preferable to streaming, where 66 per cent preferred traditional TV viewing compared to 33 per cent who stream to watch sports.

The younger population is more than likely to stream most of the time, while the survey showed Baby Boomers are not far behind, adding 40 per cent more streaming services in the past year.