'It costs what it costs': Mixed reactions to gas prices during first weekend of June

At $2.10 a litre in the Sydney, N.S., area, and higher in some more remote parts of Cape Breton Island, gas prices continue to flummox people as often as they fluctuate.

"It just seems we're being left out in the cold. After all this time, we're trying to support the economy, we're hiring people," said Jason Leblanc, the owner of the Coastal Restaurant along the Cabot Trail in Ingonish, N.S.

Leblanc said vehicle traffic so far during the first weekend of June wasn't quite what he expected. He says numbers at his business during last weekend's Cabot Trail Relay Race were also down more than 20 per cent, compared to pre-pandemic years.

It's especially frustrating, he says, given the profits he's seeing being made by big oil companies.

"Three-billion-dollars in the last quarter, $3.2 billion in the last quarter, the general person like myself, we're seeing that and it's frustrating. They're making big, big money. Government coffers are getting filled and the little guy is still feeling the pinch," said Leblanc.

Dennis Rollins recently drove to Cape Breton all the way from Alaska. After planning his trip for three years, he said the price of fuel wasn't going to make him change his plans.

"It costs what it costs. We wanted to see this place. It's a beautiful place. It's worth it," Rollins said, adding he has spent about $3,000 on gasoline so far during his vacation.

At the Miner's Museum in Glace Bay, N.S., prices at the pumps haven't had much of an impact. While it's still early in the season, Executive Director Mary Pat Mombourquette says ground traffic has actually gone up.

"It's not locals that are coming, it's people from away," Mombourquette said. “So, people are travelling. We're getting a lot of Americans in. So, so far, fingers crossed, it's looking really good, even though the price of gas is crazy."

Michel Lefebvre and some travel companions drove to Cape Breton from Quebec City in RV's. While filling them up was expensive, they saved in other ways, and will soon drive to Newfoundland and Labrador.

"We don't have to pay hotels. We save on restaurants too. We cook aboard," Lefebvre said.

Back in Ingonish, Leblanc said he is optimistic there will be plenty more vehicle traffic during the peak summer months. However, he adds the way things are now makes that difficult to prepare for.

"We can't hire now, because based on sales and based on people in the area, it's not feasible to have too many staff on," Leblanc said. “Then when you need them, they're already hired or they're not around. We're going to have days that we're busy, and we're going to be extremely short-staffed because of that."