Augmentation prix essence hit Montreal drivers this Monday at stations including a Shell on Jarry Street in Villeray, where ordinary gasoline sold for 176. 9 cents per litre; motorists limited fills and warned of broader strain on household budgets. As of Monday morning ET the surge follows recent attacks in the Middle East and a sharp increase in wholesale crude that market experts and regulators link to higher pump prices. The rise has already pushed the provincial average up by more than 20 cents in under a week, regulators say, and is reshaping how people use their cars.
Augmentation Prix Essence: Voices at the Pump
Julie Fortier, filling up at the Jarry Street Shell, said she usually uses a shared car service where fuel is included and noted she would have been better off using that arrangement; she added she expected prices to keep rising. Thaissa Bellevue, a 19-year-old student who has just bought her second-ever full tank, said an increase will make future driving difficult for her. Candido de Barros, who lives in Blainville and works in Montreal, summed up the mood: “It hurts. Very much. We have no choice; we need to work, ” and he limited his purchase to $25 that day, about 14 litres at the observed pump price.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ernst Bléus, 87, accused the government and oil companies of taking advantage of the situation, noting that previous inventory purchases at lower prices may now be sold at a premium because of the conflict. Roger Almeida highlighted spillovers to food costs and household budgets, saying when prices rise, they take time to fall; he limited his purchases to $20–$40 to manage fuel spending. Yves Robert said he drives only about 5, 000 kilometres a year and felt the impact less, while also using a coupon discount that day.
How Prices Moved and Who Is Affected
Gasoline at one Montreal station reached 176. 9 cents per litre on Monday; another assessment placed the metropolitan average at 174. 1 cents per litre the same day. The provincial average rose by more than 20 cents in less than a week, data from the energy regulator show. In peripheral regions the jump has been similar: some drivers filled up at 1. 79 $ per litre and others recalled paying about 1. 56 $ the day before the spike. For a typical driver, the increase has translated into tens of dollars more per fill-up in recent days, and owners of larger vehicles such as pickup trucks reported steeper bills over the last week.
Saibal Ray, professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, noted that inventories of cheaper oil can delay the domestic impact of global events but warned a sustained conflict would push pump prices higher; he explained that while supply for Canada and the United States is mainly North American, the oil market itself is international. Yvan Cliche, specialist in energy at the University of Montreal, said there is nothing to indicate prices will not keep climbing while tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
What’s Next
Market and regulatory indicators point to continued pressure on pump prices if the Middle East conflict endures; experts say any easing will lag crude price declines because retailers and refiners adjust more quickly upward than downward. Drivers can expect the immediate effects of the augmentation prix essence to persist in the coming days as inventories work through the system and as international shipping constraints remain under close watch. City and provincial officials, energy specialists and regulators will be the key voices to monitor for policy moves or interventions that could moderate prices as the situation evolves.
