‘It’s a $1.85 right now. I drove past’: Pain at the pumps has drivers seeking out deals

Gas prices soared to $1.85 a litre heading into the long weekend, and that’s causing drivers to look elsewhere for deals. CTV’s Bryan Bicknell explains.

At Little Arrows gas bar on Oneida First Nation, just west of London, there was a steady stream of drivers at all 14 pumps, all day long, on Thursday.

They’re coming from out of their way for gas at a price of $148.9 for regular, and $193.9 for diesel.

Rhian Harding made the 20-minute trip from London.

“This is a special trip. This is my once-a-month trip, literally, just for gas, to come out here. I don’t know. I can’t afford to get gas in London. It’s $1.85 right now. I drove past,” she said.

Driver Jim Slauenwhite drove 45 minutes from Ingersoll to get cheap cigarettes and gas. It’s a trip he makes regularly, and gladly.

“On my truck, I’m saving about $30 on a $150 fill-up. And this little car here, I probably saved about $22,” he said.

It used to be a well-kept secret, but not so much anymore. Little Arrows manager Hayley Young says drivers are flocking to the Oneida gas bar for no-tax First Nation gas, and filling up anything they can pump fuel into

“We have a lot of people filling up jerry cans. We’ve had people fill up huge, big gas things that sit in the back of their truck. A guy filled up a thousand dollars worth of gas not too long ago. That’s pretty usual down here,” she explained.

Meanwhile in London, regular was selling for about $1.85 a litre. Driver Spenser Hannam left the station feeling unfulfilled.

“Used to spend $60 to fill mine. Now I just put 60 [dollars] in this morning, and I think I got just over half a tank. So, it’s not cool,” he explained.

While everyone on the road is feeling the pain at the pumps, those in the transportation business say it is especially hard to scratch out a living right now. Nicola Brinzi has been driving a taxi for 29 years and says it’s never been this bad.

“Sometimes you go, you make $80, $70. You pump gas for $20. You go home with $30. And the lease on the car is $75 a day,” Brinzi explained.

The price hikes are being fueled by the war in the Middle East. Industry analyst Patrick De Haan of Gasbuddy says we haven’t seen the worst of it.

“Prices already going up because of oil jump earlier this week. Now oil prices [are] up another $10 a barrel. Canada’s average diesel price just under the record set back in 2022. Diesel prices will likely set a new record in Canada in the next 48 hours, climbing above 2.25 [dollars a litre],” said De Haan.