Gas (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

GAS WAR

Salmon Arm’s low gas prices likely due to price war: GasBuddy

Dec 30, 2025 | 5:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — Gas prices in Kamloops are currently sitting around $1.35 per litre.

That price comes in well above the less-than-a-dollar-a-litre price being charged by a pair of gas stations in Salmon Arm. The gap in price is akin to an old fashioned price war, according to GasBuddy.

“That is why we’re seeing some of those low prices,” said Patrick de Haan of GasBuddy. “I mean any day of the week in any province, a station could sell at 50 cents per litre. They certainly would be taking it on the chin and losing money. That is what’s happening at some of these areas where prices are below $1.10, $1.15. They are not profitable and therefore they are tough to explain why a station would lower their prices.”

“The only thing I can surmise is simply competition, maybe some bad blood, maybe some frustrated owners trying to undercut each other.”

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The $1.34 level, where most Kamloops stations are set, is a more realistic and profitable price, with the break even price currently sitting around $1.20. 

Even without the low prices of Salmon Arm, Kamloops is seeing reduced costs overall from last month and last year, with the pause of the federal carbon tax and low oil prices playing key roles.

“Though the decreases have slowed here more recently in the last week or so, the average price holding steady from last week, Kamloops averaging about $1.349 today, that is virtually the same as it was last week,” said de Haan.

“It’s about five cents a litre lower than where we were a month ago. It’s also 22 cents a litre lower than last year. I mentioned this decline in pricing is happening virtually coast to coast, across much of North America.”