Jeremy Valeriote, West Vancouver–Sea to Sky MLA, is calling on the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) to renew its monitoring of fuel prices in the Sea to Sky corridor, arguing residents continue to face disproportionately high costs at the pump.
In a June 24 letter to the commission, Valeriote asked the BCUC to prioritize examining fuel prices from Squamish to Mt. Currie under its powers granted by the Fuel Price Transparency Act.
Valeriote pointed to a previous BCUC analysis conducted in 2020 and 2021, which found the Sea to Sky functions as a single fuel market with Metro Vancouver, but that retail prices in communities such as Squamish and Whistler were slower to respond to wholesale price changes and had higher retail margins due to limited competition.
In the letter, he argues that renewed oversight is warranted as recent fuel price volatility has widened the gap between Sea to Sky and Lower Mainland prices. He also said updated analysis is important as the province considers a potential regional motor fuel tax to support transit, noting the region is already closely linked to Metro Vancouver’s fuel market, where the TransLink fuel tax applies.
The letter was circulated to local governments, First Nations and regional district officials across the Sea to Sky by Valeriote’s constituency office on June 26.
