Locals react to gas prices in Brandon

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This article was published 04/03/2022 (1471 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandonites faced a sharp increase in gas prices this week, a hike largely fuelled by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Local Jim Stewart said the rising gas prices are getting increasingly hard for regular Canadians to afford, especially for those that are on a fixed income. He has never seen gas prices as high as $1.64. He expects it will cost around $150 to fill his truck, creating a challenging situation because he lives in a rural community and has a collection of classic cars that need premium gas, which is currently priced at $1.88.

It is a scary time, he added, because the price of gas is tied to the turmoil created in Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the country.

“It is what it is,” Stewart said. “It’s bad all around.”

The Canadian Press reported retail price of gas across the country averaged $1.76 per litre on Friday, up from $1.62 just two days earlier. The average gas price across the country is poised to rise 26 cents in one week to nearly $1.85 per litre by Sunday. The ripple effect could weigh on economic growth and further boost inflation, which hit 5.1 per cent in January, its highest level since 1991.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed oil prices to levels not seen in at least eight years as tanker companies shun Russian crude and sanctions exclude some Russian banks from a global payments system, severely disrupting its exports, The Canadian Press reported. Russia, the world’s third-largest producer of oil after the United States and Saudi Arabia, churns out about 10 per cent of global supply.

Oil production had already struggled to keep pace with demand this year as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs.

Heritage Co-op Gas Bar manager Tracy Mohr has been with the station for about four year, working through historically low and high gas prices.

It has been wild watching gas prices change so dramatically, especially because these costs are out of the hands of gas station staff, Mohr said.

The price of gas changed to $1.64 in the afternoon Thursday at the Co-op.

She has already seen a number of people expressing severe stress over the situations. There has been an emerging trend of people purchasing gas in smaller amounts using increments of $10 or $20, instead of filling up.

“That’s getting them around the block,” Mohr said. “It’s tough because they don’t have the money to fill.”

The situation is outside the control of local gas bars and it has been a tough time for everyone involved.

“One thing for sure, it’s the same for us, that’s what we’re paying as well. I get it’s frustrating, it’s frustrating for all of us, but don’t shoot the messenger.”

Co-op general manager Dennis Laing provided a written statement to the Brandon Sun stating, “Many different factors play into gas prices including supply and demand, International politics, and logistics. Heritage Co-op remains dedicated to offering high levels of service at all locations including Gas Bars. As an organization, we feel the effect of increasing prices across our commodities, and can empathize with those affected.”

The Sun visited multiple gas stations across the Wheat City to speak with locals about their reactions to the rising costs of gas. While doing so, a Sun reporter ran into Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Conservative MP Dan Mazier filling up his truck at the Co-Op on 18th Street.

Gas has jumped by easily 50 per cent over the last two years, he said, and Manitobans will feel the impact in their pockets.

“This creeps into all and everything that we buy,” Mazier said.

It was already challenging to get products into the province due to the broken supply chain, he added, and this will only be exacerbated by the rising fuel costs.

The gas prices will impact local businesses that have been trying to survive the pandemic and these costs will be absorbed by them and passed onto consumers.

The cost of gas will go down eventually, but the market will need to get supplies back in order, and the turmoil in Ukraine will also need to settle.

“It will come down, but it’s costing businesses, it’s costing all of us a whole bunch of money, and I just hope we get through the valley,” Mazier said.

Jerry Goertzen from Steinbach said the price increases will directly impact his personal businesses installing residential overhead doors. He estimated he puts between 30,000 to 40,000 kilometres on his truck each year.

“I’m self-employed, so it really affects me,” Goertzen said. “It’s a real kick. I don’t understand why the little guy has to pay for everybody else. I don’t have any other employees. It’s just me and I’m doing what I can.”

It is becoming increasingly uneconomical to be self-employed, he said, and will now struggle to break even. He added his concerns are only growing as it is predicted gas will potentially jump another 15 cents/per litre and he doubts these costs will come down again.

Riley Miller from Oakville, Man., said the prices will have a slight impact on how often he chooses to take a trip with his car. He added he has been more focused on what is happening in Ukraine than gas prices.

“It’s definitely a bit painful to watch, but unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it [other] than grumble.”

Weston Keller from Swan River said the price of gas is ridiculous. His three-hour drive home will cost him $130.

“It’s not very fun,” Miller said. “You can’t just stop driving and there’s nothing you can really do. It’s hard on the wallet.”

He hopes to see prices drop, especially because he works in a heavy-duty shop and is always on the road or working with heavy machinery. These gas prices will see costs rise by thousands of dollars.

“I should have filled up yesterday before the prices jumped up,” Miller said. “Hopefully it goes down before summer. I can’t just stop driving, it’s part of my everyday life.”

— with files from The Canadian Press

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