1/19/2012

100 Mile House Gas Price Gouging

 After a Letter to the Editor written by some friends  about 100 Mile House being ripped off for gas prices, 100 Mile Free Press ran a story on the gas price variations in the Cariboo and Interior. I commented on this article because the responses given, especially by our MLA Donna Barnett, were just rhetoric and government script.

The story can be found HERE

Here is my  comment which the Free Press hadn't posted by the time I wrote this piece. Before posting I went back to check and the comment was there (16 hours after I submitted it)

Anyone wanting to check around for prices can do so here: http://www.gastips.com/GasPrices/7/british-columbia

As far as the supply and demand statement goes, that is patently false. Prices are set wherever the gas companies think they can gouge you. 100  mile area can consistently get cheaper prices at the 108.

Years ago when Flora Macdonald was the energy minister for Canada she had to defend prices when they jumped at the pump immediately after a rise in barrel costs. But they were never lowered for weeks when the wellhead price went down. The oil companies in this country  are lying to us for the sake of the almighty dollar. Just like Enbridge and their pipeline.end  


I think the price gouging is a valid argument and it doesn't just apply to this area. Two years ago because of the prices here in town I made the decision to shop in Williams Lake or Kamloops. I take all my Jerry Cans with me and purchase all my gas for things like my snow blower or Skidoo,  my log splitter and emergency generator. The money I save on that volume more than pays for my trip.

1/18/2012

Well It's 40 below......

I got up this morning (at 5 AM because the fire was getting low) stoked the fir and went to the thermometer. It  was minus 38C and that's pretty close to 40 below. I remembered back in the day when I actually worked outside in these temperatures. -45C was the coldest I worked in. The secret is you work 20 minutes then get in the truck and have a pull and a toke, warming up for a half hour, then back out for 20 minutes.

You dress for the cold and don't exert too much energy. And ALWAYS make sure the fuel truck arrives on time. If it doesn't come you shut her down and go inside a building. Then you order another truck because you aren't going to get that one running unless you warm it up, inside.

Anyway. In those days a song came out that caught my attention and I post it here for the benefit of the language cops and their headmaster the Kamloops vet. And a little levity for you.




The good thing about these temperatures is that I don't have to go outside in them anymore. I don't get paid for it. The downside is that I won't be icefishing until it drops to about -20C