Editor:
The Sunshine Coast Labour Council disagrees with Mr. Dan McTeague’s analysis of the high price of gas on the Sunshine Coast (“Labour group decries high gas prices,” Jan. 25).
The SCLC had written a Letter to the Editor critical of the high price of gas and asking for an explanation from the companies providing gasoline. To date we have not received one.
Coast Reporter interviewed Dan McTeague, founder of GasBuddy, in March 2018 when he said there was always a 12-cent advantage or more for the Sunshine Coast, and on Jan. 25 that advantage still existed, although it was likely closer to 10 or 11 cents. We have taken Mr. McTeague’s advice and investigated the rack price. From Petro-Canada rack pricing on Feb. 19 are Suncor Energy’s latest terminal rack prices for resellers and wholesale customers. Shell confirms the same rack price.
The rack price (wholesale) last week was Vancouver 73.30, Kamloops 78.10 and Nanaimo 74.90. The lowest gas price was Vancouver 127.9, Kamloops 113.9 and Nanaimo 119.9. Sunshine Coast gasoline prices on the same day were 130.9 in Gibsons and 129.9 in Sechelt.
Keeping in mind that Vancouver pays an additional 11-cent transit tax that neither Nanaimo, Kamloops nor we pay (Ministry of Finance Tax Bulletin MFT-CT 005 revised April 2018), we think the numbers speak loudly for themselves. Considering transportation and all other factors, we are paying too much for our gasoline and it’s leaving the Coast as profit.
Ed Erickson, President, Sunshine Coast Labour Council
