Gas prices spike

Northern municipalities are jumping on board the fight against gas gouging, according to Ward 11 Coun. Terry Kett.

Kett tabled a motion in February for council to request that the Ontario Energy Board, which already regulates prices for natural gas, be given the power by the province to impose a weekly ceiling on gas prices in order to reduce volatility and regional price differences, while encouraging competition. Some 50 municipalities have agreed to support that idea, Kett said.

“We're doing very well, and we have 100 per cent co-operation from northern Ontario municipalities,” he told his fellow councillors March 27 at the regular council meeting.

The announcement was a timely one, as gas prices in Sudbury are topping off at $1.41.9 per litre, an increase of about eight cents from the day before, according to ontariogasprices.com.

That's the highest price paid at the pumps as of 9:30 a.m. March 29. A number of gas stations were still offering up gasoline in and around the $1.33 a litre mark early in the morning, but that wasn't expected to last very long.

It was a tough pill to swallow for many motorists, as prices were slowly decreasing over the past couple of days from about $1.38 a litre to $1.33.

That was good news for Sudburians, but according to the province's weekly gas report, the provincial average retail price of regular unleaded gasoline, helped in part by higher North American wholesale prices, increased by 0.6 cents to $1.32.2 a litre, a 10-month high, for the week ending March 26.

Prior to March 26, the average price rose by 5.5 cents in Sault Ste. Marie (to their highest level since July 2008), 3.4 cents in Sudbury, three cents in Timmins (to a 10-month high), and less than a cent in London (to an eight-month high) and Toronto (to a 10-month high).

Meanwhile, prices fell by 2.3 cents in Windsor (from a 10-month high), 1.7 cents in North Bay, and 1.4 cents in Thunder Bay.

Across the country, the average retail gasoline price declined by 0.1 cents from a 10-month high to $132.7. In the first three months of 2012, the Canadian regular gasoline price averaged $126.6, up nine cents from the same period in 2011, and the Canadian diesel price averaged $129.5, up 9.6 cents.

In Timmins, according to ontariogasprices.com, gas prices varied little on March 29, with most stations hovering in the $1.41.9 range.

In North Bay, gas prices ranged from $1.27 per litre to $1.33.9 per litre.

In Sault Ste. Marie, prices ranged from $1.40.3 to $1.43.9.

In Thunder Bay, priced ranged from $1.14 per litre to $1.39.9.

Posted by Arron Pickard