Editor, The Times:
I'm writing this letter with mixed emotions, both anger and disgust. Since May, 2011, Clearwater residents have been gouged by ridiculous gas prices. I've heard all of the excuses: "We don't fix the prices; that's done in Calgary" or "Kamloops is having a gas war!" This is all a large crock that doesn't hold water. Do the math. Convert liters to American gallons, add the carbon tax, and in B.C. we should be paying approximately 80 cents per liter. That is still 20 cents below the price during our so-called gas war in Kamloops.
It's time the people of Clearwater banded together and said "Enough is enough!" This gas gouging hurts all the businesses in Clearwater. The other day an old age pensioner told me this is the first year in over 60 years that he hasn't bought a hunting license because he can't afford the gas money to go hunting. This is really sad. Pensioners are the ones who have paid taxes for over 50 years and now they can't afford to enjoy the few things they can still do. This is particularly sad when this is taken away from them by businesspeople padding their bottom line. Clearwater residents should lobby the government to make fuel prices an essential service until there is an alternative to fossil fuels.
I have always made a point of shopping local for most things, but when I can put six five-gallon jugs in my truck, go to Kamloops to fill up, and save $50 in fuel, you can rest assured that I will not be fueling up in Clearwater.
Jim Lamberton
Clearwater, B.C.
P.s. When this letter was written, these were the gas prices: Kamloops: 98.9 cents per liter; Clearwater: 121.9 cents per liter.