I live in a  city in Alberta, population 1,000,000. It calls itself the
oil capital of Canada. We are surrounded by oil fields and there are
four major refineries within a 15 min drive from my house.  I firmly
believe pump price of gasoline is a highly manipulated figure.

  At the independent at the end of my block, the current advertised
price for regular is 79.9 cents per liter. ( approx 1/4 US Gallon) The
pump price is 76.4. (This is another inanity, 3.5 cents/ liter
-14/galUS-off at the pump).  In a  small city, 50 minutes away, which
serves an agricultural base, pump price is 68.4, 67.4 with your walmart
card.  This is a consistent difference. Has been for many years.
Needless to say I fill up whenever I am there.
  In Alberta's other major city, 200 miles away, which has no
refineries, gasoline prices are consistently lower than here where it
is produced.

One month ago the price was 74.9. Overnight it shot up to 81.9 and
after a week dropped back down to 79.9.
The first long weekend, in May, will see an increase of 5 to 7 cents
per liter (20 to 28 cents per US Gallon). This usually happens
overnight on Wed/Thur. We know to fill up on Tuesday before a long
weekend. The price will increase at the end of June as well. Road trip
time.  I guess they blow up pipelines on long weekends and as a
favorite summer holiday activity.

Call me cynical if you like but I live with this BS