Quebecers flock to New Brunswick for the petrol award

New Brunswick service stations, located near Quebec, find an increase of around 40 % of their gas sales since April. Their profits exploded due to the price differences at the pump between the two provinces.

Since the abolition of carbon tax in all Canadian provinces with the exception of Quebec last April, petrol is now, very often, cheaper in the north of New Brunswick.

In Campbellton, a few hundred meters from the beautiful province, the neo-Brunswickian service stations see a much more important influx of Quebec customers.

It’s much better. Since April, we have 40 % more on our gas sales and on our sales in stores. Now parking is fulllaunches the owner of a campbellton service station, Réjean Landry.

The people of Quebec wait, sometimes, 10 to 15 minutes in lines to put gas at a lower price in New Brunswick.

Friday, a resident of Carleton-sur-Mer, Mikael Bernier, took the road to Quebec City for a holiday. This Gaspé admits to having stopped in Campbellton precisely due to the price at the pump.

Previously, on our journey, we always put gasoline towards Pointe-à-la-Garde or in the Aboriginal Reserve of Listuguj. For some time, with petrol prices, we always stop at a campbellton service stationhe said.

In Campbellton, it is about 10 cents per liter cheaper than in Quebec. It’s worth it.

Campbellton, oil destinatione

Audrey Savoie, who is from Amqui in East-du-Québec, regularly visits the province of Maritimes since spring.

The prices for the petrol of Amqui and Rimouski are similar. In Campbellton, I drive about an hour to refuel much cheaper. In addition, the landscape is beautiful. It makes me change my airshe says.

This 19-year-old Quebecoise also takes advantage of her neo-Brunswickoises visits to make other purchases.

With the cheaper petrol in Campbellton, I have more money to buy other things. I visit, for example, the local Walmart to buy essential goods.

Alexis Loisel, who lives in Joliet, visits his family on average twice a year in Gaspé. Since April, he ensures that Campbellton has been one of his destinations during his journeys.

I make sure to keep space, in my petrol tank, to refuel in Campbelltonhe says.

According to the aid-aid of a campbellton service station, Gérard Busque, some Quebec customers go back and forth between the two provinces sometimes a week.

They come from Maria, Matapédia, Gaspé, and Carleton-sur-Mer. They buy for several hundred dollars in petrol. It’s nice to serve the world of Quebeche says.

Before April, the neo-Brunswicks went to Quebec to fill up with gasoline. Now it’s the opposite. It is the Quebecers who come here. But it could one day be reverse again.

Still in Campbellton, a manager of another service station, Anise Chiasson, is of the opinion that the situation was very different before.

Before, it was cheaper in Quebec. Now we have more work. We have an increase of 30 to 40 % of petrol sales. The pumps are always busy. It makes us bigger daysshe says.

Sales in free fall in Gaspésie

On the other side of the border, traffic in certain service stations has dropped considerably. On Friday, only a few customers obtained petrol at the Pointe-à-La-Croix service station.

In Matapédia in Gaspésie, the co -owner of the Garage Restigouche, André Mill, estimates that he has lost around 50 % of his traffic. While in April, when the carbon tax was abolished, it was rather around 70 %.

Fuel sales have dropped. It has been placed a little since, but it’s still drastic changes compared to sales from last yearhe said.

Even if he is not afraid for the closure of his business, André Mill stresses that jobs depend on the trading in petrol pumps.

Elected officials and Economic Development Actors of the Gaspé have also discussed with the office of the Quebec Minister of Finance on this subject, with the aim of promoting measures that can help border businesses. But until now, no measure has been implemented by Quebec.

[Des collègues de la Gaspésie] told me that they lowered their opening hours. There are many who sell lesssays the owner of a campbellton service station, Réjean Landry.

The latter also hopes that the situation does not change anytime soon.

On the other side, as long as [le gouvernement du Québec] will not change, it’s good for us. We would like it to stay like that for a long time. But it is about to bring prices back to those in New Brunswickconcludes Mr. Landry.