Chilliwackians rushed to the pump Tuesday (Nov. 16), worried that the city will soon run out of gas.
Gas stations all over town had lineups four or five cars deep by early afternoon. At CANCO on Vedder Road, Debbie Purser said she wasn鈥檛 surprised to see a parade of people waiting to fill up.
鈥淚 was talking to my daughter this morning and she said, 鈥業f you need gas you鈥檇 better get it because nobody can get here, so no gas trucks are going to be able to get in,鈥欌�� Purser said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful she gave me the heads up on that. I called a friend and told her the same thing, and she鈥檚 going to try and get gas as well.鈥�
Another customer, Kay Reimer, was shocked when she pulled into the CANCO parking lot at lunch time.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to go after work because it鈥檇 be too dark, and when I got here it was just crazy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just want to get back to work.鈥�
CANCO owner Jod Singh had his hands full monitoring the pumps and helping customers in the store.
鈥淭his morning we had 30,000 litres, and since the morning we鈥檝e sold around 8,000,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o we still have 22,000 litres, and that should last us until tomorrow evening at least, but we鈥檒l see how it goes. I think everyone will try to get gas today and it will slow down tomorrow, so I鈥檓 pretty sure we should be good.鈥�
Long term though, Singh said a gas shortage could be a real thing.
鈥淚f gas stations are getting it from Burnaby and Highway 1 is closed at Abbotsford, it鈥檒l be tough to get to get it from that side, and if they鈥檙e getting it from Edmonton, then the Coquihalla Highway will make it tough to get it as well,鈥� Singh said. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 going to be a gas shortage for quite some time.鈥�
Singh鈥檚 gas station is independent, and once-a-week gas delivery from Burnaby is enough. But this week, he expects he鈥檒l need another delivery.
鈥淚 hope I鈥檒l get it, but it鈥檒l all depend on the situation with the highway,鈥� Singh said. 鈥淚f we run out of gas then we鈥檒l keep the store open and shut the pumps down.鈥�
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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