For some time, those of us who live in the central and northern part of the province have been told that the refineries were not close enough and that was the reason why gas prices in this region are so much higher than other areas of the province.
I recall interviewing an oil executive who told me that , "no" that’s wrong and actually the less gas that a service station pumps the more they pay for the product.
Well that simply doesn’t hold true because in a recent trip into the Okanagan I came upon a service station that was off in the sticks that was selling gas for $1.20 a litre, not that it was any bargain, but it never the less was a hell of a lot cheaper than the $ 1.32 we are paying here.
So that excuse doesn’t fly. Then there was the time when a few fellows decided enough was enough and they began picketing a particular service station. That sent screams around town that they were taking a living away from the people at the station. Problem was and we never found out until after the fact , that the station was owned by the company. So much for our concern about looking after the little guy.
So do we need a repeat performance in order to once again send a message to the majors that we are tired of having it stuck to us when the price of a barrel of crude is around $92 dollars and we are paying over a buck thifty while south of here gasoline costs anywhere from a $1.20 to $1.28?
During the last action that was taken, the oil companies said they don’t bend to this kind of action. Strangely enough the price of gas dropped over a two month period and stayed that way for more than a year. During that year we were competitive with other cities and towns in BC.
We need a repeat performance.
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.
Comments
We’ve been taking it in the ear from the oil companies because we have weak political leadership. Our politicians are about monopoly capitalism and their political insiders as approved by the party system, and the plight of average Canadians is sidelined in the process.
For our politicians its about more general revenue and bringing our costs more in line with the international market price. This is why they created the carbon tax… a regressive tax that targets people trying to heat their homes and drive great distances to work. The brunt of the BC liberal carbon tax falls on the low to middle income earners in rural areas as a total percentage of income to taxes.
The problem is that high energy costs are like a tax… an inflationary tax on the productivity of an economy. It strangles free enterprise progress and hollows out the economy by starving it of disposable capital.
What we really need is an energy export tax on unrefined crude, as well as natural gas and none renewable electricity. Put it as high as 40% on the base domestic cost and it effectively cuts domestic prices 40% to the world market price. The more the oil and gas industry wants to export, than the cheaper they will have to sell it domestically or the more they will have to refine and produce green here in BC… is how it should be.
As it is now its like a gold rush to export as much unrefined product as we possibly can with no domestic benefit and a complete sell out to future generations… and the carbon tax for domestic consumption is just the salt in the wound.
For the party brass that appoint our candidates by acclimation the red lines that govern their candidates are clearly not in the interest of the average Canadian.
Coupled with the fact that most politicians are business people of some ilk and would see the populace as consumers rather than constituents….
There is NO reason that Canadians should be paying ‘world’ prices for fuel…besides lining oil company executives pockets with cash….
Come on Ben some stations have dropped a penny per liter, they’re trying. Wait a minute? Dropped a penny? That means they’re getting ready to jack it up 8 cents per liter for the long weekend coming up. Damn, can’t win.
It truly doesn’t pass the sniff test when it comes to gasoline prices in PG. I paid 138.9 over the weekend but that includes a 13 cent/litre TransStink tax.
As the Esso VP said 10 years ago after a heated debate on the radio, our price is based on the amount people wll pay market driven say he.
Just came back from a 3 week road trip.
If you want to see how bad Prince George is getting hosed…take a drive around the province.
Other than metro Vancouver…you betcha…Prince George IS getting shafted and all the excuses in the world just don’t wash.
Somebody needs to get damn mad about it!
Rather than get mad, why not take action. If everybody on o250 boycotted one oil company, say Shell, and told five friends/family members, who also boycotted as well as told five people they know . . .
If we did this until May 1st, it might be very interesting to see what sort of results we got.
Who’s in?
Everyone should be in.
Even if it doesn’t hurt them all that bad, the point is to make it as difficult for them as possible.
It is possible to at least make them sit up and take notice.
Make some noise and keep it up!
And don’t buy into the line that it is not the gas station’s fault…they are as guilty as the oil companies.
There is no valid excuse for what is happening in PG…only rhetoric and the usual excuses that they use over and over.
They do it because they get away with it.
They know that people just bitch and keep right on buying.
In Victoria, earlier in the week 122.9 to 120.9 to 114.9. On Sat afternoon, up to 132.9 (except Costco 127.9); Sunday morning 124.9.
There were a variety of prices around the city, but these prices could be found at most stations. Some here believe that Costco pricing keeps prices lowe. I don’t know if that’s the case, but prices here can vary. I use Poynt on my iphone to check who’s prices are lower. There can be quite a spread.
But will some of the idiots in this town follow everyone else’s lead? And I say idiots because that last big jump from 116 to 121 (I think), there were people filling up at one station for 121 when the station across the street was 115 and no one was filling up there….
This is as good a forum to decide which company to boycott. I think it has to be an oil company (not just a particular station) so that they get the message.
If Shell is picked, then you have to include the Turbo stations as well as they are owned by them.
But PetroCan, Chevron or Esso would be fine for me.
So let’s take a vote – make a decision and start the boycott!
P.S. Last month I had to travel to Vancouver twice. P.G. is the highest place until you pass Abbotsford. 100 Mile House just went up to 1.20 from 1.18.
Even little old Burns Lake is 1.18 today and has been for quite some time.
For a boycot to truely work, more than 1 station needs to by boycotted. It would be much more effective if 1 or 2 stations are selected to purchase your fuel from, and botcot the rest. For example fuel only at Fas Gas and Husky.
Selecting only one station does not work, i.e. boycot Shell. Personally, I never by gas at Shell. Most people only get gas from 1 or 2 stations.
The boycot would need to last at least 2 weeks. Not 1 or 2 days. It would be counter productive for it to last 1 or 2 days, because people will fuel up the day before.
Use gasbuddy.com to check prices outside PG. Buy gas outside PG after leaving and before returning.
After spending a few months as a snowbird it is sad to have to return to PG. In January gasoline sold for the 78 cents a liter and now it is 97 cents a liter in the valley of the sun. Add in the savings in food costs, clothing etc, it is no wonder people will line up and wait to cross the border to go shopping.
The one thing I do miss in being in the south is the lack of pot holes. Unfortunately only another few weeks and it is back to the ghetto.
@ seamutt – that’s good advice IF you are traveling, but the majority of PG citizens filling up are probably doing so to go back and forth to work and other normal duties within the city.
I already boycott Esso and Shell. I pretty much buy all my gas from the husky and supersave gas. A person needs to make it even more personal, and go into the boycotted station(s) periodically and actually tell them you are choosing not to buy gas from them because of the parent companies gouging. Only then will the parent company start hearing from it’s retailers.
hopefully this will change when Costco gets their pumps in this summer. Perhaps the oil companies know this and are sticking it to us beforehand. It does make a difference in Abbotsford with Costco.
The other problem you will run into is that I will not fill up at husky. Have had too many problems related to them. And I’m not the only one. The other one is I’m pretty sure there are only 2 major refineries where our fuel comes from so to boycott one and goto another the refinery won’t care. Same amount of fuel being burnt. What’s angering is that surrounding areas have lower fuel costs and there fuel is trucked from pg. how’s that work? More thought then just boycott shell needs to go into this.
Ive been boycotting Shell for awhile already – mainly because I had a lady lane change without looking and without signalling making me skip off the meridian to avoid her. Then she threw a cigarette out on the ground at the next light. Turns out we were headed to the same gas station except she was there to work as she is the manager… So I go elsewhere now just out of spite – lol
Just got back from Fort St. John where I paid $127.90. Topped up in Prince George at $132.90. Checked GasBuddy.com to find the following:
Quesnel 129.90
Williams Lake 121.90
Vanderhoof 129.90
Kamloops 120.0
Vernon 127.6
Kelowna 123.9
Wasn’t surprised to see Kamloops prices so low. After all, they have an oil refinery there. Wait a minute, we have an oil refinery here! WTF??
I boycott that Esso station west of town. They wanted me to pay in advance to fill a one gallon gas container for my lawnmower. I even asked them if I could fill it without pre-paying I’d promise not to hit someone with it and run away. They insisted I pay in advance. I left and haven’t been back. Every one is a potential thief and killer now at a gas station. Cool, eh?
Don’t boycott the station, give the gov the shaft, buy marked gas in 5 gallon gas cans, a little extra work but saves you 8-10 cents a litre. when they figure it out hopefully they will make the gougers here play fair. BTW, i’ve been burning marked gas in my car for 2 years now and i’ve had no problems.
Use independents like Canadian Tire (they are always the last to raise prices and the first to drop – as well as you get their CT ‘money’), or …
the Super Store where you also get a rebate to buy groceries.
Both of these stations’ rebates make them the cheapest gas in the city even when their posted prices are the same.
Just a slight correction Ben when you say the price in PG is 1.32 a liter the real price is usually an additional .9 per liter. Apparently for each penny the price rises the oil companies make an additional million dollars per day. So that .9 per liter is almost a million per day.
Harbringer, I boycott the Turbo(Shell) Stations. Use to fill up both my vehicles until I went to the one on the Hart one day to top up a tire only to find out you now had to pay for the air. Have not been back since and will not go back.That move cost them about $200 per month ($2400 per year)Sure I’m not alone on this one.
Went to the Vanway Shell once upon a time to fill my tire with air. Could have used that hose to fill my radiator. I asked the clerk if they ever drained their air compressor? Got a clueless look in return. Not quite clear on the concept.
Pick one day a week when you don’t drive at all. All the gas stations would notice a big difference in their sales.
Sick of high gas prices? Buy some sneakers.
steven … tell me where marked gas is 8-10 cents less than regular. The best I can find is 5 cents difference. Most are only a penny or two.
Buy some sneakers .. now theres an answer from someone who is obviously unemployed.
….or probably drives a Ford Tempo.
Prince George is captive to the oil companies and we have no place to go for cheaper gas, hence the higher price. Its basically the same for the surrounding area.
At one time Quesnel was significantly cheaper, however they now seem to charge about the same as Prince George.
Thousands of people come to PG on the week ends, and the oil companies, (and other business’s) are determined to get their pound of flesh when they are here.
Tourist Bureau is a prime example with its **so called** (tourist) hotel room tax, and of course we know that vehicles are cheaper in Quesnel, Vancouver, etc;
So we are just being gouged because they can get away with it. It has always been this way. Pr George is not famous for very much, however they are famous for being gougers.
Ho hum, another article about gas prices.
1) Gas boycotts don’t work. Not enough people pay attention to them.
2) As someone mentioned above, I see this situation all the time; One station right across the street is a few cents cheaper and people still are filling up at the more expensive station.
3) Gas prices are set on what people will pay, end of story. Forget the refinery or what it costs anywhere else.
4) If gas prices truly bother you (and they don’t bother the majority of the population), sell your one ton dually and buy something more sensible. Otherwise, suck it up PG.
“Otherwise, suck it up PG.”
Pun intended? lol
Do you like getting ripped off Johnybelt?
I’m sure they have one ton dualities in the rest of the Province!Why, WHY is Pr. Geo getting up the hoo hoo? Why can every other town enjoy the lower prices of gas and were not allowed? Do you not pay for gas JB? or are you too rich to even be bothered by gas prices?Quesnel 129.90
Williams Lake 121.90
Vanderhoof 129.90
Kamloops 120.0
Vernon 127.6
Kelowna 123.9
Why can they pay this and we have to pay 131.9?
hammy, stop acting like a spoiled child. You (or I) are not entitled to low gas prices. Oil companies don’t owe us anything.
Furthermore, PG is also not entitled to the same (or lower) gas prices as any other jurisdiction. Btw, how are prices in Ft. St. John? Ft. Nelson?
Actually, the way to beat the oil companies is to invest in their stocks. Look for those that pay dividends. Will people do that? Doubtful. It’s just easier to complain.
according to gaspricesbc the average in BC right now is 131.272 so we are pretty much average…
Besides, if the difference between 129.9 and 131.9 is breaking your budget you might want to make some lifestyle changes, you are running way too close to the edge…
Send your high fuel price concerns to the show “Market Place”.
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/contact/
$129.9 in Nanaimo today!
Don’t think there is an oil refinery in Kamloops hart guy. Unless you mean the one that closed in 1983?
Pretty sure there are only 2 in BC. One in PG the other in Burnaby.
I guess I asked for it. I never should have addressed you jonnybelt and never expected an insult. It seems as though Mr. meisner and several other posters on here are all spoiled children and shouldn’t expected to be treated fairly like the rest of Province.
JohnnyBelt, I’m not sure about Fort Nelson, but I was in Fort St. John last week and only paid 127.9. For quite a long time now, Fort St. John has been less than here in PG.
I’m curious how you think that the majority of the population isn’t bothered by the gas prices. Seniors on fixed incomes are bothered by the gas prices! Single mom’s trying to make ends meet are bothered by the gas prices! Many self-employed people using their vehicles for work are bothered by gas prices. I’m one of them and last year alone I spent well over $6,000.00 on gas for my truck. You suggest that we should sell our one ton dually and buy something more sensible. Otherwise, as you suggest, suck it up PG.
I don’t have a one ton dually but I do have a gas guzzling V-8 4×4. Sorry, but I can’t get rid of it as there really isn’t much of an option for me when I go up north for work!
I’m not sure what you are so fortunate to do for work or what you drive. Perhaps you make so much money that you don’t need to worry about the price of gas? What I do know is that your your comments are completely insulting and way off base!
And Dragonmaster, you are right. My mistake, there is no refinery in Kamloops. Now that really makes me wonder why their prices are always so low compared to Prince George.
Come down from your high horse, hammy and join the rest of us.
And sorry Hart Guy, but I disagree. I am just a taxpaying joe with a normal income, and yes, I drive a pickup. When the price of gas goes up, I make adjustments in my own budget to compensate.
Again, we are not entitled to anything from the oil companies. People have been complaining about gas prices for about as long as I’ve been driving (25+ years)… and nothing has changed.
BCR: “I want to put a slightly different twist on this….
Why are prices to varied…”
Supply and demand. Milk or bread doesn’t cost the same from store to store and town to town. Why should gas?
“Tried to get Bell to check into it but he avoided it liked the plague…”
What did you expect Pat Bell to do about it? Conspiracy theories aren’t going to get you anywhere.
Anyway, I’m done with this topic. There is no convincing some people that they aren’t owed anything from anyone. Those are the cold hard facts.
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