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Labour council stages gas-price protest

A handful of placard-waving supporters of the Sunshine Coast Labour Council were out in front of gas stations in Gibsons on Feb. 14, accusing local retailers of “double gouging” and calling for more action from the province on gas prices.
Gas price demonstration

A handful of placard-waving supporters of the Sunshine Coast Labour Council were out in front of gas stations in Gibsons on Feb. 14, accusing local retailers of “double gouging” and calling for more action from the province on gas prices.

In a letter to Coast Reporter before the Friday afternoon protest, labour council president Ed Erickson said despite the finding of the BC Utilities Commission that there was a difference of about 13 cents per litre in southern B.C. compared to the U.S. Pacific Northwest that couldn’t be accounted for, “this government did not have the will to stand up to the oil companies and regulate gas prices as is done in the Maritimes.”

Erikson also claimed that when outrage over high gas prices was making news, local retailers kept their prices below the Lower Mainland average. But “that changed as soon as the news did and now our stations have kept their prices well above those in Vancouver, even though the taxes are lower here.”

Erikson said as well as trying to spur government action, the labour council wants “the public to stand with us and not buy gasoline on the Coast if they can avoid it.”

“Even when gasoline prices are higher in the Lower Mainland, it is better to buy it there and have seven cents go toward [Translink] because most of us use it at least occasionally, rather than into the pockets of the greedy oil and gas companies,” Erikson wrote.