Rising gas prices are forcing many to cancel summer travels

Spiking prices at the pumps have made Lucas D'Angelo and his partner cancel their travel plans to Montreal scheduled for Victoria Day long weekend.

D'Angelo, who works at SUDS Express in Hamilton, told The Spectator that they were planning a visit since March - back when gas prices were around $1.70 per litre. As the long weekend nears and gas prices continue to jump, the couple realized that it is too expensive to go for long drives."

He added that most of their plans are now limited to staying local" in Hamilton.

Carley Wilson, D'Angelo's partner, noted, Even travelling to a different city to meet with close friends is going to be cut to a minimum because of gas (prices)."

They are not the only ones.

A recent survey by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) noted that two-thirds of Canadian drivers are planning to stay closer to their homes this summer as fuel prices continue to soar.

On Monday, gas prices were 199.9 cents - a fraction lower than Sunday's record-high gas prices at $2 per litre in the city.

Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, told The Spectator that the gas prices will continue to go much higher." Currently, the price of an oil barrel is at $141 in Canada.

He suggested gas prices would go up by another five cents per litre during the Victoria Day long weekend.

Last May, the average cost of gas price was 131.5 cents per litre. Now with inflation and the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, prices are at a record high with an average that's getting closer to $2 per litre.

Cities in the West Coast are the worst hit by the rising gas prices. In Vancouver, gas prices jumped to $2.22 per litre.

McTeague noted that there's a diversity of demand" for gas - for people travelling to work, and those in the gig economy making trips from Point A to Point B - making it hard for car owners to drive around.

Wilson and D'Angelo, who recently found themselves an apartment in lower Stoney Creek amid the housing crisis, own two cars to travel to their respective jobs.

But Wilson, who works for a resale store, said, if the (gas) prices continue to rise higher, we might go down to one car and adjust our work schedules."

Rising gas prices have a ripple effect on other basic amenities, including food and savings.

Matthew Lowry, a single parent to a daughter, told The Spectator that it's getting harder to look after a teenage kid while also dealing with skyrocketing house rent.

It sucks when things are tight ... hate (it) when I have to say no when she (daughter) wants to go out because I just don't have money to spare."

More emphasis in now on watching the spending," Lowry said.

D'Angelo shared he has been filling gas halfway now" to save a little.

Alternatives like electric vehicles aren't yet scalable, reliable or affordable," said McTeague.

A 2021 report commissioned by Transport Canada revealed that more than half of dealerships did not have zero-emissions vehicles in stock, adding the wait time for as long as six months.

McTeague reiterated that prices are not going to come down any sooner, as demand continues to rise.

The immediate circumstances that may bring down the oil prices are global recession, which seems to be in the cards," McTeague said, or continuation of lockdown in places like China where oil and energy prices have been withheld from the (COVID) breakout."

Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com