The rising cost of fuel is causing a ripple effect that is increasing the price for meal deliveries and rides to medical appointments - a grim reality that's hitting seniors and people who live with disabilities particularly hard.
The cost for Meals on Wheels, for example, is set to rise from $4.50 to $6.50 a meal. A 50-kilometre ride that was once $15 is also set to jump to $22.50. A 90-kilometre ride that was once a $25 charge is now going up to $39.50.
That increase is starting to cause people who live on fixed incomes to pick and choose what services they can afford.
"It's starting to have an impact on my health," said Carol Elliot, a low-income Ottawa resident who uses a ride service to get to and from appointments at Nepean Support Services, an organization that assists seniors and people living with disabilities.
"I'm not sure where I'm going to get the money but I have to look at our household income and go, you know, where can I steal some money," Elliot told CTV Ottawa.
It's those choices that are causing some Ottawa health professionals to worry.
"If it's (a choice) between a doctor's appointment and food, then they're going to give up the doctor's appointment first," said Elayne Schacter of Nepean Support Services.
The average price for regular unleaded gasoline in Ottawa was near $1.27 per litre on Thursday. Gas in Gatineau was selling for a few cents more per litre.
Transportation alternatives
The steadily increasing cost at the pumps is causing people to look at other options when it comes to getting around town.
Those alternatives include turning to public transit, a service that is increasing at a rate of about two per cent per month in the Capital.
Bicycles are also becoming a common fixture on city streets as more and more people decide to peddle to and from.
Gas allowances could soon fall short of expenses
The rise in the price of gasoline is also causing headaches for many volunteer drivers who are finding that their mileage allowance could soon fall short of their expenses.
"If it goes too far, you're going to start to absorb this cost yourself, personally, and you can't really do that. It can be quite expensive" Bruce Connolly, a volunteer driver, told CTV Ottawa.
Although the gas allowance offered to drivers at the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre has gone up to 45 cents per kilometre, the organization fears they're not going to be able to keep up with the rising cost of fuel.
"As gas prices are rising, (there's a) real fear that we're going to lose the very volunteers who deliver these crucial, critical service to people in the community," said Renee Ladouceur-Beauchamp of the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre.
Prices could be lower going into the weekend
Liberal MP Dan McTeague, who regularly monitors the price of gas in the region, predicts motorists will get some relief at the pumps on Friday.
McTeague says the price of gas in Ottawa is going down almost two cents per litre to $1.251 for a litre of regular gasoline.
The rise in gas prices come after the price of oil set a new overnight trading record of US$135.09.
Observers say the record is leading to concerns that falling supply and skyrocketing demand could push prices into uncharted territory in days and weeks to come.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr and files from The Associated Press
