Gasoline prices are showing no signs of declining as Canada’s average price exceeds $ 2 per liter for the first time, making escape locations closer to home more attractive.
According to the Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources, the national average price of regular gasoline on Monday reached a record high of $ 2.06 per liter.
The average is up 9 cents from the $ 1.97 per liter record set last week, up about 30 cents per liter from mid-April.
Vancouver’s average price on Monday was about $ 2.34 per liter, while Toronto’s average was about $ 2.09 per liter. In contrast, Edmonton averaged just under $ 1.69 per liter.
Gasoline prices have risen since late February, when oil surged to about $ 100 a barrel after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but last week prices exceeded $ 110 a barrel.
Prices have also skyrocketed recently as the economy resumes and the beginning of a busy travel season has led to high demand for gasoline, which refiners have limited capacity to meet.
Long expeditions are more expensive than ever, so Canadians are looking to more regional destinations as tourists double in the domestic market.
Vancouver-based Discover Canada Tours has increased its full-day tour offerings in British Columbia.
“We’re expanding to North Vancouver and Lower Mainland, so for those who might have come, we’re taking them a little further, and so is Vancouver, Victoria. It’s a tour I’ve never been to before, “says marketing manager Elyse Mailhot.
Beth Potter, head of the Canadian Tourism Industry Association, says some vacationers are opting for camping, hiking and cycling excursions amid rising fuel costs and inflation.
“They are budget-friendly,” she said. “That is, you can’t spend the day without commenting on the price of gas.”
In addition to the burden of the notebook, there is a soaring price of diesel. This fuels most semi-trucks and impacts the cost of consumer goods.
According to the Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources, the average price of diesel rose to $ 2.27 per liter on Monday, up 54% from $ 147.1 per liter at the beginning of the year.
Canada continues to be the number one destination for Canadians in 2022, but even more so than it was before the pandemic, said Wendy Paradis, president of the Canadian Travel Agency Association.
Bookings from abroad have also increased compared to the last two years, but still below the 2019 figures, but people who fly are far too far from home, partly because of the cost. You may think again.
“This year may be the year Canadians are planning a trip to Canada,” Paradis said, citing continued vigilance against friends, family, and pandemic trips abroad as another important reason. rice field.
Ontario residents take advantage of the high fuel prices of vacations in the state to claim a new tax credit equivalent to 20% of eligible accommodation costs of up to $ 1,000 for individuals and up to $ 2,000 for families. I can do it.
Christopher Reynolds
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