Canada's national average hit 198¢/L in mid-April 2026, briefly fell to a low of 169.1¢/L on April 23 after the federal excise tax suspension took effect, spiked back to nearly 196¢/L by mid-May, eased to 170.5¢/L in early August, and is 177.6¢/L as of September 16, 2026 (CAA).
Sources: CAA national average (177.6¢/L, September 16, 2026); major-city averages are the August 5, 2026 snapshot. Federal excise tax holiday (10¢/L gasoline, 4¢/L diesel) began April 20, 2026 and was extended on September 2 to January 31, 2027.
Canadian pump prices track world crude prices (Brent and WTI), which trade in US dollars. Even though Canada is a significant oil producer, Canadian refineries purchase crude at market rates, and those rates are set by global supply and demand.
In early 2026, a major disruption to one of the world's most critical oil shipping routes caused crude oil benchmark prices to spike significantly. The Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway between Oman and Iran through which an estimated 20% of globally traded oil flows — was temporarily blocked.
However, the full impact of an elevated crude price takes several weeks to fully flow through a refinery's cost structure and appear at the pump, which is why retail prices remain elevated even as crude prices ease.
Alberta's pump prices remain the lowest in Canada for structural reasons unrelated to global events: Alberta carries the lowest fuel taxes in the country (its provincial fuel tax was reinstated at 13¢/L in 2024 and remains in force, but the combined tax load is still the lightest of any province), and the province has direct pipeline access to its own oil production and refinery capacity.
British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces carry higher fuel taxes than the Prairies.
The federal fuel excise tax is a flat per-litre tax applied at the wholesale level across Canada. Its suspension means every Canadian pays 10¢ less per litre of gasoline at the pump from April 20, 2026 through January 31, 2027 (then 5¢ less from February 1 to March 31, 2027). For diesel fuel, the reduction is 4¢/L.
To put this in practical terms for road trip budgets:
It does not affect provincial fuel taxes, carbon pricing, or other provincial fees — only the federal excise tax component.
The 10¢/L reduction is already in pump prices. The calculator and the table below use the live daily feed. Use the Northern Stay gas calculator for a personalized province-by-province fuel estimate.
Provincial figures are estimates from Northern Stay’s daily model: the CAA national average plus each province’s typical tax and price spread. Updated September 16, 2026. For a pump-level price, check CAA or GasBuddy for your city.
| Province / Territory | Regular Gas ($/L) | Diesel ($/L) | vs. National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Cheapest | $1.56 | $1.70 | −$0.21 |
| Saskatchewan | $1.66 | $1.80 | −$0.11 |
| Manitoba | $1.71 | $1.85 | −$0.06 |
| New Brunswick | $1.76 | $1.90 | −$0.01 |
| Nova Scotia | $1.79 | $1.93 | +$0.02 |
| Ontario | $1.81 | $1.95 | +$0.04 |
| Prince Edward Island | $1.83 | $1.97 | +$0.06 |
| Quebec | $1.86 | $2.00 | +$0.09 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $1.91 | $2.05 | +$0.14 |
| British Columbia | $1.96 | $2.10 | +$0.19 |
| Yukon | $2.16 | $2.30 | +$0.39 |
| Northwest Territories | $2.31 | $2.45 | +$0.54 |
| Nunavut Remote premium | $2.61 | $2.75 | +$0.84 |
Sources: CAA national average (daily) and Natural Resources Canada. The table refreshes from the live feed each day.
Taken together, the national average settled near 170¢/L in early August 2026 — within the 170–185¢/L range analysts projected for the summer. It did not hold: with fighting in the Iran war resuming in September, Brent crude moved back above US$100 and the CAA national average climbed to 177.6¢/L by September 16, 2026.
Budget using current prices as a conservative baseline and use the gas calculator for a province-by-province fuel estimate. If prices fall further before your trip, you'll come in under budget.
Gas is one part of your road trip budget. With a Northern Stay membership, campsite fees — the other major variable — drop to $0/night at 80+ private campgrounds across Canada.
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