Vancouver gas prices hit record high for 2nd day in a row
Another day, another North American gas price record set in Metro Vancouver.
As experts predicted Thursday – when gas prices in the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria soared to 239.9 cents per litre – the price went up again on Friday.
Some stations in Vancouver were advertising a litre of regular for 241.9 cents on Friday, the second consecutive day that the region has set an all-time record.
The latest surge in the cost of gas has been blamed on local factors in the Pacific Northwest – specifically maintenance on a major refinery and pipeline. Prices elsewhere in Canada have not been spiking.
“It is driven only by local factors here on the West Coast and generally in North America. It has nothing to do with international oil markets this time,” said Werner Antweiler, an economics professor at UBC's Sauder School of Business, on Thursday.
Antweiler described the current spike – which has seen prices rise from less than $2 per litre to their current levels in just over a week – as "completely unheard of."
"I've never seen a price spike happen that quickly," he said.
According to the gas price prediction website Gas Wizard, drivers in Toronto were paying 156.9 per litre on Friday. In Montreal, the price was 172.9, and in Calgary it was 165.9. https://gaswizard.ca/price-history/
Relief is likely on the way, however. Analysts say they expect to see a 20-cent price drop within the next two weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.