Gas prices up in Calgary for the weekend

Gas prices surge at the pumps A gas shortage and price hike leaves Albertans frustrated at the gas pumps. Shaun Frenette reports.

Right on schedule for the weekend, gas prices in Calgary have jumped, this time more than ten cents per litre at many stations.

If you were lucky to head out on Thursday evening to fill up, you may have been able to get gas at 97.4 cents per litre, but that price has now jumped to 109.9 at many stations.

Some websites are reporting prices in the low 90s across Calgary, but those stations are few and far between.

The average price per litre in Calgary creeped up on Friday, now sitting at 107.6 cents per litre.

The provincial capital is slightly cheaper, with an average gas price of 105 cents per litre.

Experts say that the spike in costs is actually due to a shortage of fuel because an Edmonton refinery, owned by Suncor, unexpectedly shut down.

A number of other facilities have been shut down in the United States as well.

The Fort McMurray wildfire is also being blamed for the jump. Nevertheless, the situation is driving up prices in western Canada and resulting with many Petro Canada locations drying up.

A spokesperson says measures are being taken. "We are bringing in additional gasoline from within our own network and also from third parties," said Sneh Seeta, with Suncor. "We are primarily moving that into the region by truck and rail."

Suncor claims they're working around the clock to fix the issue, but there is no timeline on when everything will be resolved.

In the meantime, Friday's prices are the highest that Calgarians have had to pay since November.

The prices in the city are still a far cry from the hike that Newfoundlanders experienced earlier this week.

On Wednesday night, the prices at the pump in that province jumped 18 cents per litre, all thanks to a doubling of the gas tax announced in the Newfoundland budget.

In many parts of that province, gas was being sold at the pumps for just below $1.32 a litre. The day before in the St. John’s area, gas prices hovered around $1.10 a litre.

The most expensive gas in the province is in southern Labrador, where fuel is being sold for nearly $1.50 per litre.

The surge means the Atlantic province is now one of the most expensive places in Canada to drive a car.

(With files from CTVNews.ca)