CORNWALL, ONTARIO - Canadians living in towns near the United States are driving across the border for cheaper gas, the Standard Freeholder reports.
The average price per gallon of gasoline in Ontario, adjusted for U.S. volume and pricing, stands at $5.06, well above the current $3.92 average price in the U.S.
Craig Lawrence, who manages a station in Hogansburg, N.Y., said Canadian customers now account for 35% to 40% of his total business. "We€™ve seen quite a few Canadian license plates passing through the pumps as of late," he said, adding the cross-border motorists end up buying more than just fuel.
"People come for the cheap gas, but they get other stuff, too, which only helps business along," he said."
Down the road at a competing station, it€™s a similar story, said manager Alyssa Gonyea. "We see hundreds of Canadian plates every day here," she said. "We€™re also seeing about 40% of our business coming from Canadians, probably even more than that."
Gonyea said she has even begun seeing some regular and repeat Canadian customers, who prefer the low U.S. prices. "One man said he has a truck and it would cost him $150-175 to fill up his tank, whereas it costs him $100 to fill his tank at [our station]," she said.