Gasoline prices jump to 6-month high

Gasoline supply problems and higher oil prices have helped to drive prices at the country's gas pumps to asix-month high, new figures show.

The average cost of a litre of regular gas in 10 major markets is now 98.1 cents, according to MJ Ervin & Associates, a firm that analyzes gas prices.

The new average represents an increase of 5.8 cents over the last week and is the highest average reportedsince the $1.03 recorded in the Aug. 22, 2006, MJ Ervin survey.

The biggest one-week price increases were noted in Ontario, where a fire at an Imperial Oil refinery in Nanticoke two weeks agoled to gas shortages that have caused some stations to temporarily run dry. The shortages have also spread to Quebec.

In Sudbury, Ont., the average price of litre of regular gas soared 14.9 cents to more than $1.02. In North Bay, the jump was 12.4 cents to just over $1; in Kingston, the hike was 11.8 cents to 98.5 cents. Montreal's gas jumped 11.1 cents to just over $1.04 a litre.

The gas supply shortage helped to firmly bumpsouthern Ontario cities out ofthe "cheapest gas in the country" perch. That title reverts to cities in Alberta. Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Red Deer were the only cities in the 44-market survey that had gas available for less than 90 cents a litre.