Kelowna gas station shoots past $2 per litre mark as prices rise

At least one Kelowna gas station was trying to sell a litre of gasoline for $2.14.9 at 10 a.m. today, March 9.

That was the Shell station at the Circle K grocery at the intersection of Springfield and Benvoulin roads. There were no customers at the pumps and the store attendant was not permitted to talk to the media about whether anyone had been buying.

A couple of other Shell and Esso stations in Kelowna were listed on GasBuddy.com with prices as high as $2.16.9 but, when checked by iNFOnews.ca, they were at $1.95.9, the same as most gas stations in the city.

One gas station worker, who did not give his name, said that Petro Canada stations usually set the price and others follow soon after. Petro Canada stations are listed on GasBuddy.com at $1.95.9 in Kelowna.

A quick scan of a few stations in the Orchard Park area of the city saw few vehicles getting gas, except at Costco where there were short lineups at the pumps.

Costco typically sells gas for at least four to five cents a litre less than other stations but customers need to be Costco members to buy there. GasBuddy.com listed them at $1.89.9 today.

Most stations in Kamloops were also listed at $1.95.9 while many Vernon and Penticton stations were posted at $1.88.9.

Prices in Vancouver have climbed to $2.11.9 at many stations, up two cents a litre from yesterday. Calgary is still at $1.67.9.

Analysts have predicted Thompson and Okanagan gas prices will easily hit $2 a litre this week and stay there for some time, triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 followed by the U.S. ban on Russian oil imports yesterday.

On Feb. 25, gas prices in Kamloops were $1.62.9 to $1.63.9 at most stations and $1.52.9 to $1.69.9 in Kelowna.

READ MORE: Gas prices in Okanagan, Kamloops set to blow past $2 soon and stay there: expert

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