gas prices

Gas prices: Competition Bureau says there’s no “collusion” in the Gaspé Peninsula

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Bureau believes that there is no collusion in the Gaspé Peninsula regarding gas price-fixing. 

The federal agency is responding to a September 11 online article by CHNC, which reported that Gaspé won the gold medal for highest gasoline prices in Quebec. The topic was also covered in the September 18 issue of The Gaspé Spec. 

The mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, stated that he “would like us to have a little attention from the Competition Bureau of Canada. It’s their job to clean up and investigate this. It’s not true that you can investigate from an office in Ottawa.” 

In an email, the Competition Bureau states that “fighting anticompetitive behaviour in the gasoline sector is a priority for the Bureau. That is why our investigators have visited several regions of Quebec to better understand how gasoline prices are determined. These visits took place in Eastern Quebec, including the Gaspésie, on July 18.” 

“To date, the information obtained has not allowed us to demonstrate the presence of anticompetitive activities in the retail gasoline sector,” continues the email from the organization, which noted that its role is to investigate price-fixing and other anticompetitive behaviour. 

As an enforcement agency, the Bureau does not have the authority to regulate gasoline prices. This responsibility lies with the provincial government, which abolished the floor price, but the resigning Minister of Energy had always refused to impose a ceiling price. 

“We continue to monitor the retail gasoline market closely and we will take action against illegal practices if we find credible evidence that an offence has been committed under the Competition Act,” the office concludes. 

The mayor of Gaspé doesn’t think the Bureau conducted much of an in-depth investigation. “We have to admit that they are not doing their job beyond giving us vague answers, which we have been receiving for the past four or five years. Besides that, I do not see a real investigation process taking place, when they have already been able to conduct in-depth investigations in certain regions of Quebec, to dismantle cartels that existed elsewhere. As long as there is no in-depth work that is done, I will not be satisfied with these answers,” replies Daniel Côté. 

This email was sent at a time when the oil companies profit margins were approaching unreasonable levels on September 11 in the Gaspé Peninsula. According to the Energy Regulation Board, margins reached 31.2 cents in Gaspé and 29.8 cents in Chandler, while the average over the last year was 16.5 cents in Gaspé and 15 cents in Chandler. The average acquisition cost for retailers in the Gaspé Peninsula was $1.35, according to the board. 

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Gaspé wins the gold medal for highest gas prices in Quebec

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Oil companies continue to exploit drivers in Gaspé by charging the highest price per litre gas prices in Quebec, except for James Bay. 

According to data from the Energy Board, Gaspé’s price is $1.74 per litre for regular gasoline as of September 5.  James Bay shows a price of $1.89, based on published reports.  In other outlying regions, the North Shore advertised an average price of $1.69 and Abitibi-Témiscamingue $1.66.  The average price in the Lower Saint Lawrence region is $1.62. In the region, the average price in the Bay of Chaleur is $1.66 and $1.73 in Rocher-Percé. 

This means that for each litre sold on September 5, retailers are pocketing 24.8 cents in Gaspé, 24.3 cents in Rocher-Percé and 20.2 cents in the Bay of Chaleur.  The respective averages over the last year are 16.2 cents, 14.3 cents and 13.0 cents.  Taking into account the price at the pump and the average over the past year, the pump price should be $1.59 in Bay of Chaleur, $1.61 in Rocher-Percé and $1.64 in Gaspé. 

The mayor of Gaspé has been denouncing the situation since 2019.  “I would like us to get a little attention from the Competition Bureau of Canada. It’s their job to clean up and investigate this. It’s not true that He points out that investigators went to the Lower Saint Lawrence and Côte-Nord regions in the past year. 

“Why are they able to go to those regions and not to us?” questions the mayor.  “They’re not doing their job. That’s the heart of the problem. I’m not saying there are anti-competitive practices, but the numbers speak for themselves. When gasoline is more expensive in Gaspé than in the Magdalen Islands, when prices are at the same level as those in isolated communities in the Far North of Quebec, there is reason to scratch your head. It is impossible that this is just a game of supply and demand,” analyzes the mayor. 

In the Magdalen Islands, the posted price was $1.69 on September 5. 

Signed Collective Agreement 

The workers affiliated with you can investigate from an office in Ottawa,” notes Daniel Côté. the CSN and the Town of Gaspé signed the new five-year collective agreement Tuesday evening after 12 rounds of complex and arduous negotiations. 

The mayor did not participate in the discussions but notes that the parties came close to the breaking point, but the council unanimously accepted the agreement and the union members by 87% in June. “For us, it was important to offer working conditions that are at least equivalent to what prevails in the market. We rebalanced certain positions in terms of salary, in particular, because we were losing a lot of employees,” says the mayor. 

The agreement, retroactive to January 1, provides for a catch-up of up to $3.75 per hour for certain trades in the first year.  In subsequent years, salary increases will range from 2.45% to 2.75% depending on the CPI (Consumer price index) and will be cappe 

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Chandler: Louisette Langlois hearing, not before 2025 

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

CHANDLER – The ongoing legal saga involving the Town of Chandler’s claim against former mayor Louisette Langlois is dragging on as the case is not expected to be heard before the spring of 2025. 

A hearing scheduled for September 3 was postponed because the judge required that the parties be present, which had not been initially requested. This forced a new postponement of the case. 

The judge will then resolve the remaining legal rules and will hear the case on the merits at the same time. In the best-case scenario, a decision is not expected before the summer of 2025. 

Suspended in January 2021 for 180 days, the resolution adopted at that time stated that the accusations against Louisette Langlois were the result of serious or intentional misconduct, by giving precedence to her personal interest, by having committed actions intentionally and, premeditatedly, all to achieve her ends. 

In January 2022, the Town filed a motion claiming $230,411 in legal fees to defend the former mayor before In addition, the motion accused her of having multiplied the procedures thereafter. 

The Town hasn’t ruled out readjusting its claim to request all the costs incurred by the case.  The total cost of this saga now exceeds $375,000. 

$2.7 million in asphalt 

Lately, there has been much criticism of the condition of certain municipal roads. However, the town of Chandler has recently announced it will invest a little over $2.7 million in street paving. 

Several streets, including some high traffic areas, will be repaved. “Our streets need love, for example, Polyvalente Street and Hôtel-de-ville Street. They need to be redone because they are in an advanced state of deterioration,” notes Mayor Gilles Daraiche. 

The resolution includes work on Bellevue, Baie-Bleue, Lapierre, Mgr Ross, Hôtel-de-ville, Daignault, Plage, Cormier, McGrath, Détente, Arcelles, Anse-aux-Canards, Germain and Lantin Streets. 

The mayor mentions that four small sections of asphalt were done this year at a cost of $70,000. 

The loan settlement process is underway and the mayor hopes for a quick response from the Quebec government in order to do the asphalt work this fall. 

In 2021, $2.3 million was invested in asphalt work in the Town of Chandler. 

Newport water treatment project 

The water treatment project in the Newport district is not progressing very quickly, making development in this sector difficult. 

The mayor explains that the water treatment project is complicated. “The system can’t take any more. There are people who want to add services, register other land, and build houses. This is a file that is dragging on and we will work hard so that at least there is work at the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026,” says Mr. Daraiche. 

government assistance with a request for a minimum of 90% funding. The project has been included in the Town’s Three-Year Capital Plan for several years at a cost of $12 million. With inflation, the project could reach $20 million, while an amount of $15 million had been mentioned in 2022. 

“Unfair” competition? 

The Town is upset with the programming offered by Chandler’s Camp Bellefeuille. Some activities proposed by the camp duplicate those offered by the Town, despite a promise. 

The mayor does not want to make a war out of it but says he’s disappointed. “I spoke to the director who told me that each activity at Camp Bellefeuille would complement the Town’s activities. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We do yoga, they do yoga. We do fitness, they do that too. It’s the same thing as us. That’s not what was said,” complains Mr. Daraîche. 

The mayor maintains that registrations for the Town’s activities, both at the sports complex and the arena, are full. 

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