Toronto: Truckers Blockade Oil Distributors to Protest Prices

Delays at pumps add to drivers' woes

By Louise Surette

Staff reporter thestar.com

Not only do consumers have to deal with gasoline prices that hit a high of 71.9 cents a litre Monday, but are now being turned away from some gas stations across the city experiencing gasoline shortages.

Convoys of independent truckers blocked gasoline terminals in North Toronto Tuesday to protest high diesel prices, slowing the delivery of gasoline to stations to a trickle.

Blockades are taking place at distribution outlets owned by Shell, Imperial Oil, Sunoco and Petro Canada. Truckers also are blocking a distribution outlet in London, Ont.

''If we don't get a delivery soon we are going to run right out of regular gasoline,'' said one unidentified station manager in North Toronto.

An Imperial Oil spokesman said there have been shortages at some of the Esso stations around the city because of a blockade at Esso's Finch Avenue terminal, where delivery trucks were being allowed to pass only every 30 minutes.

''Because of the backlog, we are experiencing delays in delivering our gasoline,'' said Pierre Desrochers of Imperial Oil.

''The truckers need to understand that Ontario isn't isolated from the rest of the world when it comes to this problem.'' Bob Chislett, a spokesperson for Sunoco, says that many of its gas stations throughout Ontario, including Toronto have had to sell premium gasoline at regular prices because they've run out of regular fuel.

''We have been bending over backwards to get meet the needs of our customers but it is becoming hard to meet demands,'' he says.

Desrochers says Monday's 5 cent gas price increase didn't have anything to do with the trucker's blockade but rather with world crude oil prices that have increased because of the low inventories worldwide.

Crude inventories are approaching their lowest levels in 23 years and the low supply has increased oil prices from $11 (U.S.) a barrel last spring to the current price of $30, the highest level since Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991.

Leonhardt a spokesperson for the CAA says he doesn't think the truckers blockade can effect the price of gasoline.

''We've had reports of shortages which can artificially inflate prices, but whether that is because the refineries and terminals being blockaded, I find it hard to believe.'' he says.

''We have a lot of sympathy for the truckers who are trying to put food on their table, but we are certainly we are hoping they will show some restraint if in fact the blockade is adding to the price of fuel.'' Leonhardt says it's difficult to say where gasoline prices will level off.

''In theory there is no limit how high prices can go up. The oil companies have us in a spot and we are hostage to the price. The government has us in a spot with the tax that is ridiculous at the level it is at.''

The combined federal and provincial tax accounts for 24 cents of the price of a litre of gasoline.

http://www.thestar.com/thestar/editorial/updates/gta/200003010_149821.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), March 01, 2000

Answers

oh well now THAT'S a constructive solution .....

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-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), March 01, 2000.

"...gasoline prices that hit a high of 71.9 cents a litre Monday..."

Regular was up to 74.5 in Quebec yesterday, every stations I saw. Cost me Can$34 for 3/4 tank of premium, as opposed to US$17 for same 3/4 tank during my trip back home yesterday (exchange rate was .68 Canadian to US dollar, so $34 would be $23 US.) I noticed also prices had come down somewhat in the US this week. If I'd be a trucker (since much of that trucking is done back and forth across borders) I'd put in just enough gas to make it to US border then fill up on US side , eh.

-- Chris (@#$%@.pond.com), March 01, 2000.

This is going to cause some ripples in Canada, guaranteed. Y2K is just a late bloomer, that's all. Some of the prognosticators said 10% of the effects would be felt during rollover and the rest would be spread out later. If we adjust that to 2% and the rest spread out that would just about hit it right on the nose.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), March 02, 2000.