When hurricane Katrina hit, we all freaked out that oil rigs had been damaged and there was going to be a gas shortage. That shortage never really occurred, just a spike in gas prices. Now, as a result of a minor fire that lasted only 2 hours, stations all over Ontario are running out of gas.

They say it was the straw that broke the camel’s back, with other factors like cold weather affecting shipping and the CN Rail strike already placing strain on the fuel supply. Cough, bullshit, cough! Got news for ya folks, we have winter every year around here. You haven’t been able to use ships for transporting gasoline during the winter since, well, EVER. The strike? Well, ok I’ll give you that one, but there are millions of truckers who’d be happier than hell to make the money!

The fire at the Nanticoke refinery just outside Hamilton is owned by Imperial Oil. At first it was just Esso stations that were affected by the shortage. Now, it’s everywhere. Shell says they’ve got about 30 stations that have run dry, while Petro Canada estimates 20-30 of their stations are empty. I know that the Sunoco by our house had it’s tanks filled yesterday afternoon. This morning when I filled up, they only had Ultra 94 left.

Here at the dealership, we use Petro Canada. The station across the street is dry. I’ve called around of 8 stations in our area, only one has fuel but they are almost out. Some people may be picking up new cars without gas today!

The next few days could be very interesting for commuters. I have 48 kilometers door to door & a full tank. If all goes well, I’ve now got enough gas to make it to the weekend. Beyond that, it would take me well over 2 hours to get here by train and bus so that’s really not an option. The GTA is HUGE and my driving needs are the norm, not the exception. The gas companies need to get their program together fast!