Ottawa gas prices to hit highest levels since November

Motorists fill up the gas tank at a Petro Canada on St. Laurent Boulevard in Ottawa on Saturday. (Colton Praill/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa motorists will be paying the highest price for gasoline since November this weekend.

Canadians for Affordable Energy President Dan McTeague says gas prices will jump 3 cents a litre on Friday to 166.9 cents a litre.

That will be the highest price for gasoline in Ottawa and across Ontario since Nov. 10.

Gas prices increased 5 cents a litre at Ottawa gas stations on Thursday.

"The move is in response to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. – their kickoff to the summer driving season," McTeague said earlier this week.

According to Ottawagasprices.com, the average price for gasoline in Ottawa was $1.97 a litre one year ago.

McTeague says gas prices may drop over the weekend before increasing next week, as supply and demand, issues with the U.S. debt ceiling and the value of the Canadian dollar contributing to a "non-linear" price increase.

"We are going to see prices move up and, of course, in Canada, many people may notice their fuel mileage will take a hit,” McTeague told CTV News Toronto on Thursday.

"I don’t see a scenario in which prices don’t move up 20 cents between now and mid summer."

With files from CTV News Toronto's Katherine DeClerq

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