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Gas Is Still $1.81 a Litre: Why Pump Prices Won't Fall (and What to Do Before Winter)

  Canadians hoping for relief at the pump got bad news heading into this week: it isn't coming soon. The national average for regular gas was $1.81 a litre on Friday, according to Kalibrate, with provincial averages ranging from $1.557 in Alberta to $2.156 in Newfoundland, per GasBuddy. That's after a big policy move. On Friday the G7 announced plans to release 100 million barrels of oil right away, starting with diesel. Brent crude dipped on the news, then climbed back to about US$102 a barrel by the afternoon. Don't expect the release to show up at your station, because crude is only half the story. Crude oil explains only half your pump price Wood Mackenzie's Jim Mitchell says crude makes up 50 to 60 per cent of the retail price of gas. The rest is the cost of refining it, and that's where the squeeze is. Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem pointed to damaged refining capacity worldwide in a Sept. 21 speech, noting that pump prices reflect crude roughly US$40 a ...

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Ontario Colleges on Edge as Faculty Strike Looms

Faculty staff at Ontario’s public colleges are poised to take strike action as early as January 9th, following a five-day labour notice issued by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). The union, representing faculty workers at the province’s 24 public colleges, has cited stalled contract talks and lack of job security as the primary reasons for the potential strike.

Despite months of negotiations, the College Employer Council (CEC) and OPSEU have yet to reach an agreement. The union claims that the CEC’s current offer would leave faculty members worse off than their previous contract, which expired three months ago. The CEC, on the other hand, argues that the union’s demands are unrealistic given the financial instability faced by Ontario’s colleges.

The potential strike comes at a challenging time for Ontario’s college sector, which has already seen a significant drop in international student enrollment and funding cuts. The union is urging the CEC to enter mediation with more realistic demands to avoid an unnecessary strike.

As the situation unfolds, both parties remain committed to finding a resolution, but the looming strike date adds urgency to the negotiations.




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