Gas prices continued to climb Monday morning, with some Langley gas stations charging as much as $1.61.9 a litre, an all-time high.
The highest earliest record price in B.C. was 1.55 cents a litre, set in June 2014.
According to one report, the new Lower Mainland record beats the all-time North American high that was established in Los Angeles back in 2008.
Lower Mainland gas prices hit record-breaking 160+ cents a litre
The price was expected to go even higher.
GasBuddy website senior analyst Dan McTeague warned a “perfect storm” of increased demand, a chronic shortage of gasoline – not helped by refineries shutting down for spring maintenance – and a weak Canadian dollar would push prices at the pump to record highs as the weather warmed up.
April 1 had also seen the carbon tax increase and a transition from cheaper winter gasoline to its more expensive summer counterpart.
When Metro Vancouver gas prices began rising, the number of people crossing the border in search of lower prices also went up.
A Langley driver could save as much as 50 cents a litre by taking the Aldergrove border crossing to Lynden.
The ARCO station at 8247 Guide Meridian Road has seen a substantial increase in the number of B.C. licence plates at the pumps in recent weeks.
“About 30 per cent,” owner Youn Yang told The Times.
Yang said business dropped when the Canadian dollar lost ground against the U.S. currency, but has been picking up lately, likely because of the gas price disparity.
At Midway Gas and Food in Lynden, staffer Joellene Mayshack said there had been a “noticeable” increase.
READ MORE: Why do gas prices in Langley vary so greatly?
- with files from Black Press
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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