With gas prices at least $2 a liter in most of the country, seven in 10 Canadians (69 percent) expressed concern they would be unable to pay for their gas, according to an Ipsos poll released Tuesday.
This fear is even more pronounced in households with children (80%) and in those aged 18 to 34 (77%). Across the country, people in the Atlantic provinces (57%), British Columbia (53%) and Alberta (53%) say they can’t fully fill their car with current prices. This reality is slightly less present in Quebec (48%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (42%).
“There are many concerns about the affordability of gasoline,” said Gregory Jack, vice president of public affairs at Ipsos Canada, in an interview with Global News.
Gasoline price analyst Patrick De Hann told Global that he believes gas prices could continue to rise to $2.50 given the right circumstances. In particular, a disruption in oil production following a major hurricane like Harvey or Ida that swept through the Gulf of Mexico in 2017 and 2021 would pose a major risk to gasoline prices this summer.
“Nonetheless, I would expect some relief if we could escape hurricane season without a major storm,” he said.
The analyst mentioned that prices often peak in July, only to fall from August.