Cottagers rethink summer plans as gas prices reach record highs
Spontaneous summer getaways for cottagers will be much less frequent for those feeling the pinch at the pumps.
The price of gas rose another two cents overnight Friday across Simcoe County and the GTA, and it's set to increase again Saturday to 215.9 cents per litre - an all-time record high.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"Part of being in Canada is enjoying the outdoors and going around," said Christine Simbirski, who stopped for gas in Barrie. "It's really hard that you've got to budget for that now."
Simbirski won't be the only budgeting as summer travel costs continue increasing.
As an avid kayaker, she said she anticipates fewer trips out on the water this summer to keep her costs at home down.
"We're going to see tomorrow gas prices hit that all-time record - 215.9 here in the GTA across most of southern Ontario," said Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy. "It's likely to go up at least another cent or two Sunday."
Rising gas prices haven't slowed down tourism operators in the heart of Muskoka, but they have changed how they plan their summer.
John Miller is the president of Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst and said he anticipates a jam-packed summer, despite the travel costs.
"Even though gas prices are extraordinarily high and the weather hasn't been the best, we have been extremely busy over the last two, three weeks," he added. "We're getting a lot more scheduled events than typical, which I think is what you'll start to see because of those rising costs."
While prices are set to break a record on Saturday, the squeeze at the pumps won't end there.
According to McTeague, gas prices in southern Ontario could rise above 2.20 cents per litre by the time July rolls around.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.