Some gas stations run out as prices drop across B.C.
Drivers were so eager to fill up before gas prices rise again that some stations across British Columbia ran out.
After weeks at around the $2-mark or more, prices dipped a bit over the weekend and remained relatively lower into the start of the week.
It's still expensive to drive, but at an average price of 186.3 cents per litre in the province and 184.8 in Metro Vancouver, it's significantly cheaper to fill up now than back in June when the cost rose to 236.9.
Also impacting supply at times is ongoing maintenance at a refinery south of the border, among other factors.
One person told CTV News the cause for many dry stations is a lack of fuel truck drivers. In an email, they said a contractor that delivers to Esso and Shell was dealing with illnesses, and one that delivers to Chevron was down about one-third of its staffing.
Some stations used tape to block off the pumps Tuesday, including a Chevron in Hope. Red tape blocked drivers from the pump area at a station on Old Hope Princeton Way on Tuesday afternoon.
(Scott Connorton / CTV News Vancouver)
At least one station in Keremeos – where residents have been told to be ready to evacuate at short notice due to a growing fire – was also out of gas on Tuesday.
Others, including in Vancouver, New Westminster and Coquitlam, ran out over the weekend, including one that had no gas in the morning, but was selling it again by the afternoon.
Some just posted signs on the pumps or blocked off the areas, while others set the prices on the signs visible from the road to "0.0" to signify they'd run out.
The prices have been especially high in B.C., and across Canada, since the start of the year, when manufacturers blamed the conflict in Ukraine for high demand and low oil supply.
Following spikes in February, the provincial government promised a one-time rebate of $110 to drivers through the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. Many are still waiting for those cheques into August, though ICBC tells CTV News that they've all been delivered to Canada Post.
But prices have generally stayed high since that time, and in fact records were broken several times since February in many parts of the province.
Still, ICBC said there are no plans for further rebates, and the province refused to offer the tax relief that some of its counterparts imposed. Additionally, it went ahead with a carbon tax increase in April, which also affects gas prices.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."