Ottawa’s fuel tax cut takes effect amid mixed reaction in Saskatchewan

Canadians could soon see some relief at the pumps as the federal government is set to temporarily reduce fuel taxes starting Monday. Carla Shynkruk reports.

Drivers across Canada may soon notice some relief when filling up. The federal government is set to temporarily reduce fuel taxes starting Monday, a move aimed at easing pressure as gas prices continue to fluctuate.

The measure is expected to lower prices by several cents per litre through the summer months — a welcome change for many motorists in Saskatoon and across the province.

“I think anything that lowers the price of gas would definitely help,” local driver Derek Rope told CTV News.

As fuel costs remain unpredictable, even a modest drop could make a difference. Rope says he has already seen a significant increase in his own expenses.

“My vehicle went from about $120 or $130 bucks up to about $183 the other day,” he said.

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Not everyone, however, is feeling the same strain. Some residents say they’ve adjusted their habits to cope with rising prices.

“I think it’s great. I do think, though, that if people didn’t drive everywhere, people would be a lot better off,” Brian Micasiw said.

Others have moved away from gasoline altogether. Nicole, a local driver, says switching to an electric vehicle years ago is now paying off.

“I’m very smug about having purchased it,” she said. “It was four or five years ago now — just in time, really.”

Still, some residents argue the focus should go beyond fuel costs.

“I think we need actually more than gas prices reduced. Grocery prices are so high when you consider the increases we’ve had over the last 30 years,” Saskatoon driver Terry Mack said.

While the federal government is cutting its portion of the tax, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe stopped short of committing to any provincial tax reductions.

“We welcome affordability measures,” Moe said. “We’ve been focused on that in a different way.”

He added the province continues to assess options in what he described as an increasingly inflationary environment.

Experts caution that while drivers may see a slight dip in prices, broader global forces are still driving costs.

“We are dealing with a massive energy shock. It hasn’t become apparent, I think, to a lot of Canadians,” said Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy.

Production shortfalls remain a key issue, and McTeague says any relief may be limited in the short term.

“I don’t see them going down until later in the summer. Prices may come down a little bit in the short term,” he said.

The federal gas tax cut is expected to remain in place until early September.

For now, drivers will be watching closely to see how much of those savings actually make it to the pump.