Pumped-up gas prices approaching records in Windsor

Whether you're embarking on a long-weekend getaway or planning to be out running errands, fuelling up might cost more than expected.

Gas prices in Windsor-Essex have risen to an average of 135.5 per litre, according to CAA, and people who spoke to CBC News at the pumps on Thursday were not exactly pumped about the situation.

Mark Dufour Jr. said it's cost him $20 or $30 more per tank to fill up lately.

"They're definitely going up and up," he said of the prices. "They never really go down that much. Usually they're always more expensive on a long weekend."

Marilyn Tshikani said her vehicle is easy on gas, but as a student with a part-time job, she isn't spending as much time behind the wheel with the price rises.

"When it's high it is a lot harder for some people."

Kailey Ross said she was waiting for prices to drop to hit the pumps, but they're not.

"So I get to empty and I'm like, 'OK, well, this is it. It just goes higher if anything.'" 

'It's not going to get better'

Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said the surge is widespread. The cost of gas is nearing record highs across Canada as well as locally.

"We're looking at prices that are approaching some of the highest prices we've seen being paid here in Windsor-Essex, and that's going back to 2008," said McTeague, a former MP for a Toronto-area riding.

In July that year, the cost hit $1.44 per litre, a record McTeague said was likely to be beaten if not soon, then after the winter.

"The bottom line is it's not going to get better for a long time, if it's going to get better at all."

So what's fuelling the pain at the pumps?

McTeague said it's a combination of various factors, including Canada's low dollar, a rise in the price of crude oil, the carbon tax and pent-up demand as the pandemic subsides.

As well, the continued closure of the Canada-U.S. border for all but essential travellers means less pressure for Windsor-Essex gas stations to compete with stateside bargains.

"There's always a little bit of a deal in the United States," he said, adding that average gas prices in Detroit work out to around $1.12 per litre.