Gas prices in Canada are swinging hard tomorrow — Here's where to fill up now vs. wait

British Columbia

According to Gas Wizard, here are the regular gas prices in B.C.'s major cities for Thursday:

• Victoria — 169.9 c/L (+10¢)
• Vancouver — 164.9 c/L (+1¢)
• Kamloops — 150.9 c/L (+1¢)
• Prince George — 133.9 c/L (-7¢)
• Kelowna — 131.9 c/L (-9¢)

B.C. is really showing the range tomorrow. Victoria is predicted to jump by a hefty 10 cents, topping the charts with the biggest increase and highest price of any major city in the country. Vancouver is set to rise too, albeit much more modestly, to remain one of the priciest markets in Canada.

Meanwhile, the Interior is looking much more promising, with Kelowna expecting the biggest drop at 9 cents down — a whopping 38 cents lower than Victoria's price. Areas farther north around Prince George could also see some relief, with prices expected to drop a respectable 7 cents per litre.

According to GasBuddy's crowdsourced data, the cheapest fill-up in B.C. today is at Super Save Gas in Kelowna, at 127.9 c/L.

Prairies

Here are Gas Wizard's predicted gas prices for Thursday in cities across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba:

• Saskatoon, SK — 134.9 c/L (no change)
• Regina, SK — 133.9 c/L (no change)
• Winnipeg, MB — 131.9 c/L (no change)
• Edmonton, AB — 125.9 c/L (-8¢)
• Calgary, AB — 124.9 c/L (-10¢)

Drivers in Alberta can expect some decent savings tomorrow, with prices in Calgary predicted to drop by a full 10 cents — the largest single-day decrease in any major Canadian city. Edmonton is also set to see a solid 8-cent dip.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba, on the other hand, are expected to hold steady, with no major price changes forecasted in Regina, Saskatoon or Winnipeg — all of which are already hanging around the national average.

Looking for a cheap fill-up today? According to GasBuddy, the lowest price reported in Alberta is at a Costco in Calgary, where it's just 109.9 c/L. Meanwhile, Regina Cabs has the lowest reported price in Saskatchewan right now at 110.9 cents, and a Winnipeg Co-Op has the cheapest gas in Manitoba at 123.9 c/L.

Ontario

According to Gas Wizard, here are the predicted regular gas prices for Thursday across Ontario:

• Toronto, Markham & Oakville — 136.9 c/L (+2¢)
• Brampton — 136.9 c/L (+8¢)
• Sudbury — 133.9 c/L (no change)
• Thunder Bay — 132.9 c/L (-4¢)
• Mississauga, Niagara, Oshawa, St. Catharines & Waterloo — 130.9 c/L (+2¢)
• Barrie — 130.9 c/L (-4¢)
• Cornwall — 129.9 c/L (-1¢)
• London — 128.9 c/L (no change)
• Hamilton — 128.9 c/L (-6¢)
• Kingston — 127.9 c/L (-3¢)
• Ottawa — 126.9 c/L (no change)
• Peterborough — 123.9 c/L (-6¢)
• Windsor — 121.9 c/L (-6¢)

Ontario is a mixed bag this week. Prices in Brampton are predicted to jump sharply — up by 8 cents — while other GTA cities including Toronto, Markham, Oakville, Mississauga and Oshawa are set to rise more modestly by 2 cents.

Meanwhile, cities like Hamilton, Windsor and Peterborough are expected to see notable drops of 6 cents. Windsor is expected to have the lowest average price in Ontario tomorrow, followed closely by Peterborough.

According to GasBuddy, the best deal in the province reported today is 103.9 c/L, at Smokes Fuel and Convenience in Alderville First Nation (near Cobourg).

Quebec

Here are the regular gas price predictions for Thursday in Quebec's major cities, per Gas Wizard:

• Montreal — 162.9 c/L (+2¢)
• Quebec City — 150.9 c/L (no change)

Quebec drivers aren't in for much change. Montreal's average price is expected to rise slightly — up by 2 cents — while Quebec City's rate is holding steady. Still, both cities remain on the high end of the national spectrum, with Montreal continuing to be one of the most expensive places to fill up in Canada.

If you're in the market for a better deal today, GasBuddy lists a Shell in Gatineau as the cheapest reported station in the province, at 139.6 c/L.

Atlantic Canada

According to Gas Wizard, regular gas prices in the Atlantic provinces are expected to remain flat tomorrow::

• Charlottetown, PEI — 147.3 c/L (no change)
• St. John's, NL — 146.7 c/L (no change)
• Fredericton, Moncton & Saint John, NB — 144.4 c/L (no change)
• Halifax, NS — 141.6 c/L (no change)

No major price changes are expected across the East Coast for Thursday, with steady averages forecasted in all major cities. Halifax continues to offer the most affordable average in the region by a few cents.

For those looking to fuel up today, GasBuddy points to Johnny's Gas Bar in Keswick, New Brunswick, as having the cheapest reported price in the region at 139.9 c/L. In Nova Scotia, a Petro-Canada in Lower Sackville is offering 141.6 c/L, the cheapest in the province right now. Newfoundland drivers can find the best deal at Irving in Mount Pearl, sitting at 149.9 cents, while in P.E.I., an Ultramar in Summerside has the best price at 147.3 c/L.

National trends

According to GasBuddy's live ticker, the national average for regular fuel sits at 135.6 cents per litre as of Wednesday morning. That's up just half a cent from yesterday, but down 2.7 cents from last week.

Compared to last year, we're saving nearly 25 cents per litre, thanks in large part to the removal of the consumer carbon tax in most provinces earlier this year.

Here's how provincial averages stack up today, per GasBuddy:

• B.C. — 153.3 c/L
• Alberta — 127.0 c/L
• Saskatchewan — 134.1 c/L
• Manitoba — 130.0 c/L
• Ontario — 126.9 c/L
• Quebec — 153.5 c/L
• New Brunswick — 141.1 c/L
• P.E.I. — 147.6 c/L
• Nova Scotia — 142.8 c/L
• Newfoundland — 150.9 c/L

Looking at the bigger picture, today's national average is still well below the highest recorded for this date, which was a whopping 204.3 cents per litre on June 4, 2022 — back when Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine triggered a global fuel shortage, causing prices in Canada to skyrocket.

It just goes to show that while prices may feel high in some cities right now, we're still sitting far below the worst spikes of recent years!