The price of a litre of regular gas in Montreal has been rising steadily in recent weeks.
Now, some gas stations in town are raising the price to just a shade under $1.40 a litre — a price we haven't seen in Montreal since late last summer, when oil refineries in the Gulf of Mexico were dealing with the effects of Hurricane Harvey.
The price hike is expected to be made everywhere on the island by Tuesday morning, before prices begin their slow, steady decline during the week.
Dan McTeague, the former Liberal MP who runs GasBuddy.com, says Montrealers shouldn't expect any relief at the pumps anytime soon, thanks to supply-and-demand issues.
"I think $1.40 to $1.44 could be the new normal as we head toward the May two-four [Victoria Day] weekend," McTeague says. "The idea of flooding the market with oil and dropping the price of oil created a massive glut. That glut is now ended, and we're now dealing with a significant drawdown in inventories."