When will drivers get their ICBC rebates? An updated timeline
Some British Columbians won’t be getting provincial rebates meant to offset soaring gas prices until the end of July, according to ICBC.
Premier John Horgan announced the one-time payment on March 25, soon after prices rose above 200 cents per litre. People whose vehicles are for personal use will be getting $110, while commercial vehicles are entitled to $165.
Since then, there has been little relief, as the cost of filling up has continued to climb and continued to break records.
In all, the province said rebates would be coming to 3.5 million policy-holders. So far, 24,000 rebates have been issued to people who set up direct deposit with the insurer. An additional 575,000 are expected to be issued as refunds to credit cards "in the coming weeks," an ICBC spokesperson said in an email to CTV News Saturday.
"Starting in June," those who pay ICBC using debit, cash, cheque, or payment can start to look out for a rebate cheque in the mail.
"We expect to have all cheques mailed to customers by the end of July," the email from ICBC said.
This appears to be a modification to the timeline provided by the province back in March.
"All other customers will receive cheques in June," the announcement from the province read.
The insurer is also reminding people that any text messages or emails instructing people to click a link to receive their refund are "a scam."
While gas prices in Vancouver have dropped since reaching their high of 233.9 cents per litre earlier this month, drivers in the region are still seeing the highest prices in the country.
The BC Liberals have slammed this rebate as too little too late, calling for other measures to give drivers some relief. They propose temporarily freezing the provincial gas taxes and providing a one-time rebate through the Climate Action Tax Credit, which would be issued July 5. They're also calling for a suspension of a 25-cent so-called "hidden import" tax on gas brought to B.C. from Alberta.
High prices across the province have led to calls for free transit over the summer months, when prices are predicted to reach 250 cents per litre.
They've also led to many Canadians choosing to go south of the border to fill up. Along with residents, local charities are struggling with the soaring cost of gas, with some worried they might have to cut programs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.