Mar 17, 2021 10:47 AM
TORONTO — If you’ve noticed gas prices on the rise, you aren’t alone: Statistics Canada says gasoline prices rose 6.5 per cent in February compared with January, marking the third month in a row of climbing prices at the pump.
Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a research note on Wednesday that gas prices are “poised to really pop” going forward, based on a weekly reading showing pump prices up 44 per cent from a year ago.
Here are a few reasons why you may be feeling sticker shock:
1. Today’s prices are a contrast from pandemic lows