Ottawa and Toronto drivers hit by rapid gasoline price increases
- Drivers across Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area woke up to escalating fuel costs on Saturday, Oct.
- Motorists in the national capital region saw prices surge rapidly ahead of the weekend.
- Stillo added that while working from home helps absorb some of the financial blow, she has cut back significantly on personal driving.
Drivers across Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area woke up to escalating fuel costs on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, as regular gasoline prices jumped by roughly 14 cents over a two-day period in Ottawa. CTV News Ottawa reported that pump prices for regular fuel reached about $1.90 a litre, leaving motorists facing high expenses all summer.
Ottawa Drivers Confront Pain at the Pump
Motorists in the national capital region saw prices surge rapidly ahead of the weekend. Ottawa resident Erica Stillo stated that she paid $186.9 a litre after delaying her trip to the station for as long as possible. That’s insane,
Stillo told CTV News Ottawa, noting that her fill-up cost $84. I don’t think I’ve ever paid that much to fill a tank.
Stillo added that while working from home helps absorb some of the financial blow, she has cut back significantly on personal driving. I am less likely to do road trips, and I love road trips,
she said. I can afford it, but I can’t imagine how people are doing it.
Toronto and Waterloo Region Experience Steep Hikes
Similar pressures hit the Greater Toronto Area and Waterloo Region, where regional outlets tracked daily increases. According to predictions from Canadians for Affordable Energy cited by CBC News, Toronto prices rose seven cents Friday to about 185.9 cents per litre before climbing another six cents on Saturday to reach 191.9 cents per litre. CityNews Kitchener reported that in Waterloo Region, prices rose six cents on Friday to 184.9 cents per litre and another six cents on Saturday to 190.9 cents per litre.
CP24 reported that industry analyst Dan McTeague described the surge as unexpected for this time of year. That’s an unexpected increase that we normally get this time of year, but of course we know as far as energy has been concerned since March, nothing is normal,
McTeague told CP24.
Fuel Costs Cut into Social Life and Income
Gulnabi Meemapal, a taxi driver with 24 years of experience, told CTV News Ottawa that his daily fuel costs jumped from $30 to $50 for a 12-hour shift. So, the $20 of that money was for our social life.
Now, we don’t have no social life,
Meemapal said. He explained that he now has to work three or four extra hours just to cover the added fuel expense.
In Toronto, retiree Fabian Chan told CBC News that he chose to pump gas on Friday before Saturday’s further jump. Chan noted that inflation has outpaced income from the Canadian Pension Plan and old age security. I think most of the companies use excuses to jack up the prices and we ordinary citizens have to suffer,
Chan told CBC News.
Global Supply Pressures Drive Up Costs
Analysts point to international supply chain disruptions as the primary catalyst behind the domestic price increases. CBC News reported that refiners in the United States and globally are struggling to catch up while discussions continue regarding the Strait of Hormuz. McTeague explained to CBC News that infrastructure damage in the Persian Gulf during the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has created persistent upward pressure on gasoline.
Amid these soaring retail figures, dealership and automotive service personnel observe a shift in consumer behavior. Ben Featherston, a service director at a Honda dealership, told CTV News Ottawa that the cost of fossil fuels is pushing buyers toward alternative powertrains. I think the consumer’s really starting to see that the value in the hybrids, in the electric also,
Featherston said.
G7 Reserve Releases Trigger Brief Price Drops
Relief is expected to arrive briefly on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, though analysts caution it will be short-lived. CP24 and CTV News Ottawa reported that G7 countries agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves in the coming weeks. McTeague told CP24 that European releases of emergency diesel and gasoline supplies are contributing to a predicted price drop of seven to eight cents a litre in Toronto on Sunday, with a four-cent drop expected in Ottawa.
McTeague advised consumers to time their purchases accordingly. CTV News Ottawa reported his recommendation that drivers avoid buying gasoline in the morning, noting that stations often lower prices by 10 to 15 cents in the evening. CP24 also noted McTeague’s warning that the weekend rollback represents only a temporary moderation during a prolonged and expensive period for energy markets.