Visitors are being warned to top up their fuel tanks before arriving on the southern Gulf Island this summer.<\/p>\n
Visitors to Saturna Island are being warned to top up their fuel tanks before arriving on the southern Gulf Island this summer.<\/p>\n
Bob Fitzgerald is shutting down Saturna\u2019s only gas pump, saying bringing fuel to the island just doesn\u2019t make economic sense anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to charge $3 a litre for regular gas and nobody wants to pay that, not even me,\u201d the owner of Saturna Point Holdings said in an interview.<\/p>\n
Gasoline sales have been part of Fitzgerald\u2019s business for more than two decades \u2014 and previous owners long before he arrived from the Northwest Territories.<\/p>\n
He owns the Lighthouse Pub, Arbutus Campground and retail shops on a 1.7-acre property just up the hill from the Lyall Harbour ferry terminal and public wharf.<\/p>\n
Selling vehicle and boat fuel has always been a big part of the business, but it\u2019s fallen off sharply, as locals usually top up with cheaper fuel during trips to Victoria and Vancouver.<\/p>\n
Prices are through the roof since his last load shortly after the U.S. under President Donald Trump started bombing Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess I can thank Mr. Trump for that \u2014 he made the decision easier,\u201d says Fitzgerald.<\/p>\n
The last 16,000-litre truckload from his Victoria fuel supplier cost him $41,000, well above the $25,000 price of the previous load.<\/p>\n
Fitzgerald said he also has to pay the higher price of transporting fuel to a remote island \u2014 and pay the bill up front.<\/p>\n
His cost is about $2.60 a litre, with a markup to $3 to cover his own expenses.<\/p>\n
As of Friday, Fitzgerald had about 300 litres of regular gas and 11,000 litres of premium-marked fuel for boats and farm equipment. His remaining diesel is being held for Saturna\u2019s fire truck.<\/p>\n
The diminishing fuel supply prompted Parks Canada and the local tourism association to warn visitors there may not be any fuel left as Saturna\u2019s busy tourism season gets underway.<\/p>\n
Officials are also warning everyone, including locals who rely on generators during extreme weather events and power outages, that B.C. Ferries\u2019 dangerous goods policy allows only one 25-litre jerry can in personal vehicles. Gas containers, full or empty, have to be declared prior to boarding.<\/p>\n
Saturna Island has about 450 full-time residents, but the population balloons to three times that size over the summer, said Fitzgerald.<\/p>\n
The easternmost southern Gulf Island, it\u2019s about 31 square kilometres and is known for its mountainous, rugged terrain. It has about 20 winding roads leading to beaches and parks.<\/p>\n
Fitzgerald had sold boat fuel on a float off the public dock at Lyall Harbour until 2018. But when the federal government transferred ownership to the Capital Regional District, he said terms of a new lease and the cost of improvements made it \u201cunfeasible\u201d to continue.<\/p>\n
He pulled out the gas pumps and float and capped the line running to the water. The loss of the gas float was a big hit to his fuel sales, but the length of the lease and investment cost \u201cmade it impossible to make it work financially,\u201d said Fitzgerald.<\/p>\n
He still sells boat fuel at his gas pump up the hill, with mariners using fuel containers and wagons to bring it to their vessels.<\/p>\n
He said most boaters likely now fill up at nearby Pender Island or at the marinas in Sidney.<\/p>\n
Fitzgerald isn\u2019t ruling out getting out of the fuel business. He has five underground tanks on his property \u2014 four at 22,000 litres each and another at 10,000 \u2014 so the capacity is available for any future needs.<\/p>\n
Fitzgerald is in discussions with local emergency officials and others about forming a co-operative, where several partners could split the cost of fuel loads. But doing it alone isn\u2019t something he\u2019s willing to shoulder anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do need the fuel here,\u201d said Fitzgerald. \u201cA lot of people who live here have gas generators and fuel will be an issue if we get a big storm and don\u2019t have any power.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted that in 2018, Saturna\u2019s power was out for six days.<\/p>\n