Ontario premier calls cost of gas ‘absolutely disgusting,’ raises price-gouging concerns

Ontario drivers woke up to an average fuel price of 170.2 cents per litre on Thursday and Premier Doug Ford was among those frustrated by the gas price increase.

During a question and answer period at a stop in Oakville, Ont., Ford went off on gas prices, mentioning concerns about price gouging and comparisons to gas prices south of the border.

The average price of gas in Ontario climbed 7.7 cents overnight due to the change from winter to summer gasoline, but depending on where you are in the province you may have seen a jump as high as 22.3 cents.

“You go out last night and you’re sitting there for 20 minutes in the line up to get gas, you know, and it’s unacceptable. Everywhere I was going, it was about a buck, 59. You wake up this morning and it’s $1.80. You know, it’s absolutely disgusting.”

Ford first aimed his frustration at oil companies, wondering if tanks at the gas station are drained of winter gas overnight or if consumers are being gouged.

“I have my opinion that it’s not physically possible to drain every single gas station and put the fresh stuff in, so either you’re putting the fresh stuff in last month or you’re gouging the people right now.”

He then pointed to prices in the United States, particularly in Illinois and Minnesota, which have similar climates, where prices have not gone up.

However, Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said those US markets (as well as Western Canada and northwestern Ontario) made the switch from winter to summer gasoline on March 15 as those regions are tied to the Chicago comprehensive prices while most of Ontario’s prices are tied to what happens in the New York Harbour, which switched to the summer blend on April 16.

“More often than not, the refiners