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By Michael Reeve

Strait of Hormuz

Kamloops non-profits and community groups feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs

Mar 24, 2026 | 4:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — Uncertainty remains for global oil markets as the war in Iran rages on. With the Strait of Hormuz closed to U.S. allied tanker traffic, oil prices have been surging, with the effects filtering down around the globe in the form of increased costs at the pump. Those costs have some rethinking travel plans – or simply the commute to work – while local Kamloops non-profits are watching their bottom lines shrink.

Fuel prices in Kamloops are hovering around a $1.80 per litre, with diesel well above the $2 mark.

“Anytime there is an increase in fuel, in food prices, we definitely feel that on an operational level at the food bank,” said Bernadette Siracky, Kamloops Food Bank executive director.

Local non-profits and community groups already run on razor-thin margins and the increasing costs to the bottom line are being felt by groups and users alike.

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“When you don’t have a disposable income, when you literally are budgeting every dollar that you have, there is no fund to get extra money for gas or to get extra money when food prices increase. We do see our folks coming to us more often,” said Siracky. 

The Salvation Army runs a meal program around town. While they don’t have to travel far, filling the tank is hitting the pocket book. So, too, is the domino effect as prices rise across the board for services.

“It affects everything – everything goes up,” said Kamloops Salvation Army’s Major Orest Goyak. “The food doesn’t come to us to get prepared magically. It comes via truck. Guess what that truck has a fuel charge on it now or the fuel charge has gone up. We have waste removal – fuel charge has gone up. It affects every aspect. We do see it at the pumps but that is minimal compared to the domino effect it has on everything else.”

“We are the end of the line. The buck stops here, so we have to pay for it. We don’t pass on our extra costs to our clients out there. No, we absorb it. Because of that, our line gets thinner and thinner when it comes to delivering our services,” added Goyak.

Much like the food bank, the Salvation Army is also seeing an increase of use for their services as people struggle to get by.

“We have our seniors luncheon program once per week. We are seeing an increase in folks who are coming to use our services, like the seniors program, like the seniors breakfast, like our bread door,” explained Goyak. “We get bread every day we give out at our bread door. Sometimes we used to have bread left over, now it’s gone before the day is out.”

The Kamloops Food Bank does buy some products, including everything used in their Starfish Backpack program supporting young students.

“We have four refrigerated vehicles that we operate so, of course, we feel that in our budget, with our bottom line with fuel. But also we feel it with purchasing. We do purchase some items at the food bank, not everything is a donation,” said Siracky. “What I’m hearing is food prices are going to rise yet again because refrigerated transport is just more expensive.”