Ottawa delivery drivers still struggling with the cost of fuel as gas drops to the cheapest price in months
The price of gas has gone down by almost 40 cents in Ottawa since June. But it’s back up seven cents on Sunday and those who drive for a living are spending hundreds of dollars on fuel every week.
Michel Bigras owns W Flowers in Nepean, the bulk of his business comes from delivering those flowers to customers.
"The cost of gas has been driven so high that I had to raise my delivery rates," says Bigras. "A year ago I was charging $12 per delivery in the Nepean area. Today I have to charge $14 to go anywhere in Nepean."
Bigras is spending twice as much on gas this summer compared to last year.
"I went from spending $400 a month to $800," says Bigras. "I’ve actually doubled it."
The average price of gasoline in Ottawa a year ago was about $1.30 a litre and near 92 cents a litre two years ago. On Sunday, gas was selling at around $1.67 per litre.
Spencer Gibara is an Uber Eats driver, he says rising gas prices make it difficult to accept orders that have him driving longer distances.
"When it goes up, delivery drivers and Uber drivers are pretty heavily hit by it,” says Gibara. “I spend about $500 per week on gas. I drive about 40 hours a week, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. Obviously, it depends on the fluctuating prices, but I fill up about every other day and when I get that gas bill it’s never fun."
In the last few days, Ottawa has seen many Gatineau residents crossing the interprovincial boundary, searching for cheaper gas prices.
A Gatineau resident fills up the gas tank at a station in Ottawa. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)
"We shop in Ontario and whenever we need to shop we profit and bring it down by 20 cents," said one Gatineau resident filling up his car today in Ottawa. "Right now in Quebec, it’s $1.83 and I’m paying $1.66. So you’re talking about 17 cents."
"I come to Ontario once a week," says Gatineau resident Edwing Marc. "So I will wait to come here to fill my tank because it could be like 10 cents lower than in Quebec."
Michel Bigras also happens to live in Gatineau, but rarely fills up there.
"If I’m paying $1.51 here, I could be paying $1.68 anywhere I go in Gatineau," says Bigras. "So there’s no shopping around in Gatineau. It’s a flat rate."
And with the recent drop in gas prices, it means Bigras is passing the savings onto the customer.
"I filled both vehicles right away," says Bigras. "So I can throw a little bonus in my flowers you know what I mean. Just to give them relief too. So that’s what I’m saying to my customers. I’m giving you a little more flowers this week because I got a little break on gas."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.