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Gas prices in Minot and Grand Forks are at $2.19/gal. They have gone up about 30 cents a gallon since their low of $1.89 this past winter. Our prices are up about $1.60/gal since the winter low of 69.9 litre even though our dollar has improved.  
 
Guess we shouldn't have closed refineries years ago.  
 
Edited by Blade, 2016-05-27 10:25:08

It was sure nice while it lasted!  
 
I am a little surprised that it actually took this long for the pump prices to go up. I was expecting them to raise the price shortly after having to shut down at Fort Mac for a few days. They didn't capitalize on the disaster and I thank them for that. I have to agree with Timetowakeup in that no one is going to give any oil company a break for not immediately gouging us. Even though the province is going to be imposing the Carbon Tax, the tax is actually a result of the Paris climate agreement that Trudeau and the Liberals signed us on to. I wonder if the same people who always are the first to complain every time a gas station raises the pump price a few cents per litre will have anything to say when the Carbon Tax causes the gas price to rise? LOL, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It was nice to see Brandon prices lower than Winnipeg prices, however there was a lot of difference between pump prices at different gas stations in Winnipeg at the time. More expensive to fill up now, but with crude prices expected to rise, if you have a pension plan that has shares or investments in oil you may be a bit happier.  
 
Edited by Triplethreat, 2016-05-27 16:29:45

Superstore gets my support. Not only are the the last to raise their price, but they also give me back 10.5 cents/liter in super bucks. I'll defiantly continue to support them.

rum said "Superstore gets my support. Not only are the the last to raise their price, but they also give me back 10.5 cents/liter in super bucks. I'll defiantly continue to support them. "

Superstore is one of the better places to fill up. I do want to thank Petro-Canada at 26th and Vic for keeping their price at 95.9 for as long as they did.

I noticed a few comments suggesting a higher gas price helps the economy. Not in this case it doesn't.  
I think when a economy is bad you don't go artificially raise prices to try and get money flowing. You try and give the individual a choice in where they spend their money. They will spend it either way, but if if you ensure they only spend their free cash on energy than every other area of the economy will suffer. If you allow keep energy prices at the price it should be now that the market is oversupplied than people will have a couple more bucks to support other areas of the economy.  
Even if prices were at $2 a liter, it wouldn't help the oil companies as the market is still oversupplied. it would help the refineries rake in money as they are the ones making the extra cash now.  
I guess if they predict that going forward, money is to be made in refineries, than it could benefit the economy. That could potentially cause them to consider making serious expansions and build new refineries.  
But that is about the only way a higher price would benefit the economy, and that is unlikely. why? Because if oil prices go up than the extra money will go back to being made by the oil companies unless they decide they want to see gas at $3 a liter. So the future situation is to uncertain for refinery expansions being a real benefit to the economy.

If you need gas you better fill up now looks like prices are going up again Shell stations are up to 112.9

the rise in due to a refinery issue in Edmonton. Shell, ESSO, CO-OP, Husky have their own refineries, yet they are jacking up their prices also.  
 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/gas-stations-petro-canada-shortage-refinery-1.3614301  
 
Yet there are 12 other refineries in Canada with 5 in Western Canada.  
 
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/energy/images/Big_refraf1-eng.jpg  
 
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/infrastructure/5895

all up at 112.9 - all that refineries crap is getting old and all part of the gauging game just in time for travel season - imagine that

at the refinery the light bulb in the administrators private bathroom burnt out so the whole refinery had to shut down until it was changed...so it essentially will cost tax payers millions of dollars to change this one light bulb. Just sayin' LOL

Timetowakeup said "I'm sure if you all had something in short supply and high demand you would be just giving it away. Smh fuel is a luxury not a necessity, simple solution by a bus pass they didn't go up or ride a bike! Look at it if they had fuel to sell do you not think the stations would have got some to take advantage? "

Crack me up when you come here and say buy a bus pass or ride a bike. Yes that works well if you live in a city many Don't .  
 
Where I live there is no buses, and a bike gets you 2 miles to a small town that doesn't have most of what you need. I had to post documents a certain way to the U.S last week, that were important and had to be there quick.  
 
The small town post office couldn't do it, as they didn't have the right envelope and documentation for it . I ended up with a 70 km drive to do that and 2 other things while I was there that weren't real important. The bike wasn't going to work or the bus.  
I think in some cases fuel is a necessity if you live outside a city and farm to grow the food people need to survive. some here will say "Well quit move to the city" who's going to grow the food if guys do that?

Similar to "perimeteritis", some e-brandoners forget that not all of westman are fortunate enough to reside in city limits.  
However, the Brandon economy is driven by the out-of-towners who come regularly to spend our hard earned money in your business establishments.  
As Brandon is the medical centre of the area, we are driving on a regular basis for necessary and many times, life-saving health care and treatment. This costs money and gas is a large part of it. and don't suggest car-pooling, you don't get to pick and choose the time for appointments.  
The last 2 hikes in the price of gas has significantly increased the cost of a trip to your fair city.

I got up early this morning and read a few comments on this and thought I should look a lot further than just what we are being told. I''m one of those who believe gasoline is a tradeable commodity, and we have a neighbour to the south that produces gasoline as well, and it does move back and forth between our countries. Thought I might check a few of the government reports, issued weekly in the US regarding energy. Some things that could be considered interesting in last weeks report could be, refinery utilization, which is the capacity that they run the refinery at, it was down to just under 90% from 92% the week previous. Even with a lower level of capacity, gasoline production was up to 9,958.000 barrels daily from 9,728,000 the week before. Then there was actual gas stocks, this showed a nice increase for the total supplies when compared to same week a year ago, the number was 238.6 million barrels this year as compared to 220.3 million barrels a year ago, I could make comment on Canadian prices compared to US prices, but like I said what the heck.  
After taking some time to look at things I just said what the heck, and turned on a movie, since things will never change when we have a limited number of producers, that will export fuel but not import it to give us a break.  
Ya, what the heck.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2016-06-04 08:50:17

Trevor B said "the rise in due to a refinery issue in Edmonton. Shell, ESSO, CO-OP, Husky have their own refineries, yet they are jacking up their prices also.     http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/gas-stations-petro-canada-shortage-refinery-1.3614301     Yet there are 12 other refineries in Canada with 5 in Western Canada.     http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/energy/images/Big_refraf1-eng.jpg     http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/infrastructure/5895 "

and the rest of the refineries is that spring/summer is generally the time to shut down and do yearly inspections, repairs/cleaning and modifications. Once they shut 1 part of the refinery down they typically find 100 other things that are an issue. Although these things never caused an issue while they were running (because they couldn't be checked to find out the part was broken) they now have to be fixed. So the 10 day shut down is now 20 days (in industrial 10 day shut down means 20 and 20 means 1-2mths).  
As someone who goes to a lot of these refineries for work, I have never understood why they all shut down around the same time, but I have never been on any shut down where it starts and ends inside the allotted schedule. This is a lot to do with strict laws we have in Canada and sometimes even has to do with pleasing the surrounding neighbors.  
Every one of those companies you have mentioned are all doing massive shut downs and also with Fort Mac down makes a huge difference. Contrary to what people may think, they do not shut the plant down to change a light bulb. It may take 6hrs to get your permit, flrha's, safety mtgs, and fall protection (for working at heights)on all 10 of the workers in the area and 2 safety guys (for supervision)to change said light bulb, but these shut downs are between 100-1000 extra workers on site per shift.

CatMan said "Similar to "perimeteritis", some e-brandoners forget that not all of westman are fortunate enough to reside in city limits.   However, the Brandon economy is driven by the out-of-towners who come regularly to spend our hard earned money in your business establishments.   As Brandon is the medical centre of the area, we are driving on a regular basis for necessary and many times, life-saving health care and treatment. This costs money and gas is a large part of it. and don't suggest car-pooling, you don't get to pick and choose the time for appointments.   The last 2 hikes in the price of gas has significantly increased the cost of a trip to your fair city. "

Your reply It's nice to know there are other people out there on ebrandon, that totally get the situations many people are in. It doesn't even have to be "perimiteritis" it seems there are people out there have no clue whats going on 6 blocks from their house.You wouldn't believe There are guys around have no clue what Bi pole 3 even is. It seems as long as everything is fine in their little bubble there are no problems for anybody else!.  
Sorry to hear you are having health issues, thats just another thing guys don't think about, you have to travel. There are some not so lucky to get treated in Brandon and have to go to winnipeg often to,That really isn't cheap .

Bipole III, sheesh! You make it sound like "Bipole III" is the most important thing in the country. It maybe important to you for whatever reason, but don't be so naive to judge someone by their knowledge if Bipole III. For most of us Bipole III is as much a factor in our lives as a "Papuan taipan".

There may be the odd station in eastern Canada which might be havering problems getting gas, but for the rest of Canada there is no shortage. We like the US have gasoline reserves, or if you want you could call it inventory or storage or what ever, and as for crude oil and there being a shortage, all I'm going to say is "get real and get your head out of the sand".  
People from different industries lie all the time, maybe lie isn't the right word, but they present an arguement that usually isn't backed up by actual numbers, because they know most people won't take the time to try and understand an industry, see it over and over again in many industries supplying people with products. If anyone is interested I can give examples, but maybe it's just easier to believe media hype.

Beef prices up time to bash the farmer, this could be used as an example, if you at anyone else checked, beef prices are up, but cattle prices are way down over last year.

Farmboy74 said "    Timetowakeup said "I'm sure if you all had something in short supply and high demand you would be just giving it away. Smh fuel is a luxury not a necessity, simple solution by a bus pass they didn't go up or ride a bike! Look at it if they had fuel to sell do you not think the stations would have got some to take advantage? " Crack me up when you come here and say buy a bus pass or ride a bike. Yes that works well if you live in a city many Don't .     Where I live there is no buses, and a bike gets you 2 miles to a small town that doesn't have most of what you need. I had to post documents a certain way to the U.S last week, that were important and had to be there quick.     The small town post office couldn't do it, as they didn't have the right envelope and documentation for it . I ended up with a 70 km drive to do that and 2 other things while I was there that weren't real important. The bike wasn't going to work or the bus.   I think in some cases fuel is a necessity if you live outside a city and farm to grow the food people need to survive. some here will say "Well quit move to the city" who's going to grow the food if guys do that? "

I agree with what you say. I am a city boy and I woke up quite a few years ago. However there are still a very few who haven,t "wokeupyet". These guys don't watch the market as far as oil inventories or they just plain don''t know diddle squat about economics. These 50 cent jumps in gallons of gas do nothing but create inflation in our economy. I am in a position where I can endure the jumps in price but feel for a lot who it really hits in the pocket book.  
 
Even some of these guys locked in "the 70's" haven't "woke up". There is definitely not a shortage that causes us to pay the same price per litre now that we were paying when oil was at $140 a barrel.  
 
Really what we need to protect our econnomy is something like PEMEX which is a state owned oil company that controls prices. In Mexico they are not subjected to these ridiculous increases. The government still gets their taxes. These jumps in prices don't even make sense to share holders nowadays, it is plain and simple taken advantage of a monopoly.  
 
Edited by Blade, 2016-06-04 21:14:26

I for one have never said they are selling less gas, and I think the point that people are trying to make is they are using news stories to inflate the prices here in Canada. Gasoline is not produced in Fort Mac, and I don''t think that there is a shortage of crude because of the loss of production in that area. If there was a shortage from that area that is affecting total supply to our refineries I''ll be expecting companies like Spearing to get back to a busy schedule getting oil from the batteries to the pipeline.  
Oil and gas are tradeable commodities, and our gasoline ends up in American stations,so why no really big increase in American prices. As stated in a comment posted above we are paying prices that are comparable to crude above $100 a barrel.  
The average US retail price for last week was $2.339 a gallon up 3.9 cents for the week but 44.1 cents a gallon lower than a year ago.  
 
Link for checking numbers  
 
https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/pdf/wpsrall.pdf  
 
So if we believe that gas prices are something that is set on a tradeable commodity why such a difference. Refinery margins have been good from before the break in prices and continue to be good even today, it is the bright spot for these companies.  
You mention about dividends being suspended for oil companies but maybe ask people who own bank stocks if they share in the record profits that banks made.  
 
Page 5 on the report for retail prices as well as stocks an inventory, Canadian numbers are pretty hard to get.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2016-06-05 07:30:43

I don't understand why the Chamber of Commerce and the Taxpayers Association are suddenly silent when gas prices soar.  
 
Both have lots of complaints when minimum wage increases by 50 cents, which is less than 5%, but don't seem to have a problem when gas prices go up 20% in just a few months.  
 
Both an increase in minimum wage and gas prices affect the bottom line of their members. On the other hand, an increase in minimum wage benefits the working poor, while an increase in gas prices benefits the already wealthy.  
 
Is that why they don't complain ? Because the rich benefit ?

Bipole should be important to every Manitoban including all those that have a bike and a bus pass that Don''''t own gas burning vehicles!.  
 
i''''m pretty sure everybody uses hydro and this project is going to cost us payers Millions of $. But I''''d guess that you are fine with yet more increases in living costs, maybe your job is linked well above living cost pay increases There are quite a few out there like that, or have huge pension funds that made money in the good times.  
Depending what you do for employment or financial gain such as farming/working min wage jobs. the money is not raising accordingly, to cover the extra expenses all the time. Thats why I said about Bi pole for an example of Manitoban''''s not knowing. Then getting royally adjusted yet again just the same as fuel costs.  
 
This is really starting to get unsustainable for to much longer. Maybe a few more need to go hungry and then someone might wake up.  
 
Sorry for taking this way off topic but it gives a perspective to what a lot of uninformed people don''''t realize is actually happening in some cases.  
 
Edited by Farmboy74, 2016-06-06 01:45:11

Some Winnipeg stations are running out of gas  
 
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-petro-canada-gas-pumps-run-dry-1.3617846

Didn't Shell stations run out of gas last year as well

is due to an incident at a refinery in Edmonton ( they won't say what) affecting and slowing production where petro Canada gets it's gas

Manitoba – 28.7 cents/litre  
 
Fixed Federal tax - $0.10; Fixed Provincial tax - $0.14; Sales Tax (GST) – 5.0%  
 
Current retail price - $0.986/litre; Total tax - $0.287/litre (29.1%)  
 
Manitoba has the second-lowest fuel taxes in all of Canada at only 28.7 cents a litre.  
 
While Manitoba does produce around 40% of its own demand for oil through various fields and wells around the province, it does not have an oil refinery. That means it is forced to send the crude elsewhere to be refined or upgraded, and then brought back in for use. The majority of Manitoba’s reserves are similar in type to the oil sands in Alberta and Saskatchewan, although much smaller in scope. Also like its fellow prairie provinces, Manitoba looks to the Chicago market for its base pricing.  
 
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/ownership/how-much-tax-are-canadians-paying-on-gasoline/ss-BBtPUi7?ocid=SL5MDHP

Raising the minimum wage does not benefit the working poor or anyone else, for that matter, with the possible exception of union bosses. The myth that raising the minimum wage will lift people out of poverty is just that, a myth. When the minimum wage increases, every employer/business has to raise the price of their products and services to make up for the fact that it now costs them more to pay their employees. This results in inflation which eats up any gains that the working poor would see from the minimum wage being increased. In other words, the working poor just end up "back at square one". It also makes savings virtually worthless and really hurts people on fixed incomes, like seniors, for example.  
 
Gasoline really is not any more expensive now than it was twenty five years ago. You can thank inflation and minimum wage increases for that, LOL. In 1990, gasoline was selling for 55 cents per litre and the minimum wage was $5.00/hr. Today gasoline is selling for $1.12 per litre, a little bit more than double it's 1990 pump price, while the minimum wage is also more than double the $5.00 hourly wage of 1990.

Triplethreat said "Raising the minimum wage does not benefit the working poor or anyone else, for that matter, with the possible exception of union bosses. The myth that raising the minimum wage will lift people out of poverty is just that, a myth. When the minimum wage increases, every employer/business has to raise the price of their products and services to make up for the fact that it now costs them more to pay their employees. This results in inflation which eats up any gains that the working poor would see from the minimum wage being increased. In other words, the working poor just end up "back at square one". It also makes savings virtually worthless and really hurts people on fixed incomes, like seniors, for example.     Gasoline really is not any more expensive now than it was twenty five years ago. You can thank inflation and minimum wage increases for that, LOL. In 1990, gasoline was selling for 55 cents per litre and the minimum wage was $5.00/hr. Today gasoline is selling for $1.12 per litre, a little bit more than double it's 1990 pump price, while the minimum wage is also more than double the $5.00 hourly wage of 1990. "

Are you actually trying to say that there is a lockstep link between minimum wage and gas prices? Exactly what have you been smoking? The only people involved in the oil and gas industry that make minimum wage are the poor buggers that have to pump it into your car (assuming you go to a full-serve station).  
 
As to your argument about minimum wage increases not benefiting the working poor, that's pure conservative BS as well. An increase in minimum wage to a living wage results in more disposable income, a larger tax base and more customers for businesses. With the increase in customers, businesses increase production and actually have to hire more employees.  
 
As to an increase in minimum wage being a benefit only to union bosses, exactly how many businesses do you think there are that pay minimum wage and have union shops? Not very many, because if there were union representation, those businesses would be paying on scale [i]starting[/i] with the minimum or even higher.  
 
So, if in 1990, gas was selling for 55c and today, with oil prices half of what they are now (were about $23 bbl), and minimum wage at $5 for the gas jockeys, where do you think the discrepancy is? How about in CEO and executive pay? In the late 80's and early 90's, average CEO pay was about 100 times that of the average employee salary level. That ratio is now over 400x. Guess where all the extra money is going? Don't blame it on minimum wage or unions.  
 
The current price of gas is nothing short of a monopolistic rip off of the Canadian public. Since gas production and distribution is linked between Canada and the US, I could understand the current price increase if the US had a comparable increase, but they haven't. There is no market-driven reason for $1.12 gas in Canada other than pure corporate greed.

The only point that I was making was that in 1990 when gasoline was selling for 55 cents per litre and the minimum wage was $5.00/hr, if you were earning minimum wage, it would cost approximately one days pay to fill your tank, depending on what you were driving. Today, with the pump price of gas at $1.12 and the minimum wage better than double the 1990 wage, if you're earning minimum wage, it still costs approximately one days pay to fill a comparable vehicle.  
 
Now I will make another point. Thanks to inflation, which gets a boost every time the minimum wage is increased, a $5,000 savings account isn''t worth anywhere near as much today as a $5,000 savings account was in 1990. In other words, a dollar will only buy about half as much as it would in 1990. Don''t try to tell me about how raising the minimum wage helps the poor. I''ve heard all of that left-wing, socialist, union driven BS before. I have worked many minimum wage jobs in my lifetime and not even once did an increase in the minimum wage ever help me to be financially better off. If the wage goes up, let''s say 10 percent, then the cost of groceries, restaurant food, clothing and everything else also goes up accordingly right afterward. I''m the one earning the money, I''m the one spending the money, paying the bills, so yeah, I know whether or not I''m better off after an increase in the minimum wage. I''ve had to work for every dollar I''ve earned too. Not once have I ever had a union job, been on welfare or been in any other circumstance where I got paid to not work. I get really sick and tired of hearing these left-wing politicians and these anti-poverty groups trying to exploit the poor into believing that they care about them, when they really just view them as statistics, a number on a file and another potential vote.  
 
Some prices in the US have gone up. Chicago residents are now paying 30 cents per gallon more, for example. There are many factors affecting price. I''ve been expecting an increase ever since they had to shut down Fort Mac for a few days. Also, this is the time of year when prices always rise, the "summer driving season" as it''s referred to. Refineries in the US also have to reformulate their gasoline for summer due to EPA regulations, resulting in short term shut downs. There are other contributing factors as well for price increases. Now, if the question is why are the Brandon prices higher than prices in some surrounding towns, that is an entirely different issue. Again, everybody complains like anything when the oil companies raise the pump price by a few cents. Will you complain as much if the proposed "carbon taxes" cause an even larger increase in the pump price?  
 
Edited by Triplethreat, 2016-06-07 22:05:15

Sort of tired hearing people say that raising minimum wage is a left wing idea. Over a year a ago the US government mandated a increase in the national minimum wage in the US, this was done because the directors of the twelve different districts of the Federal Reserve advised the government that it was necessary. If you are not familiar with the directors of the federal reserve they are anything but left leaning socialists, if anything they are pretty well all right leaning conservative business people. The federal reserve is in charge of monetary policy in the US and usually look at the whole picture without bias.  
 
Back to gasoline prices, the low for gasoline at refineries in the US happened around the 11th of February at 94.15 cents a US gallon, and it reached it high on May 24th at $1.6546 per US gallon, the price since then has dropped 7 cents a gallon. Using these numbers the maximum increase in our fuel should have been just a bit better than 24 cents a litre in Canadian funds, with the recent decline the increase would be around 22 cents a litre, these prices are before taxes, but some of our taxes on fuel are fixed.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2016-06-07 22:33:57

Gasbuddy showing prices of 118.9 at Co-op