Life in the Ottawa Valley as seen at the gas pumps

The rising cost of gas is affecting rural life in eastern Ontario in different ways than in the city.

In the Ottawa Valley, there is no public transit, there is no Uber or Lyft, and taxi service is at a minimum.

Anyone stopping to fill up at the Irving Big Stop in Pembroke Tuesday was likely coming from or headed to Highway 17, a long stretch of highway through the heart of the valley that always takes a gulp out of the gas tank.

That was the case for Dave Furfaro, who drives Highway 17 every day for work and stopped to fill up his truck.

"On one hand, I'm not going to sit here and complain about things I don't know," said Furfaro, referencing the war in Ukraine, which is creating political and economic intricacies.

"All I can do is say it sucks," the aviation mechanic said as his pickup truck tank topped out at $115.

On Tuesday in Pembroke, gas prices at Irving ranged from 184.9 cents per litre for regular to $2.06 per litre for premium. At the city's only full serve station on Boundary Road, unleaded was 188.9 cents per litre.

"But what do you do?" questions Furfaro. "Once and a while I can carpool with the wife and make some adjustments, but we work different shifts, different places."

Bailey Gibson pulled into the Irving gas station on Paul Martin Drive and bought just $12 worth of gas, filling a small jerry can.

"It's just for my snow blower. I'm going to do some of the neighbourhood," Gibson told CTV News. "It doesn't take much, but the price of premium is definitely high. I didn't realize it was $2.06 now."

It's a nice gesture by the Pembroke resident, given the never-before-seen price of gas, but those same prices have also forced Gibson to put away his snowmobile for the rest of the season.

"I recently stopped just because the prices are pretty steep," said Gibson. "But my truck itself is normally $80 and I just filled up yesterday and it was $120."

"Do you have a choice?" Furfaro again questioned. "You've got to work; you've got to make money. You've got to spend money to make money."