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Gas prices at record levels

Better fill up before you drive to the coast.

Gas prices in Vancouver have now tied a record reached four years ago.

The last time prices hit 155.9 cents a litre was in 2014.

Analysts blame the spike on temporary refinery shutdowns and an upcoming closure of the Olympic pipeline in Washington State for several days.

"The Olympic pipeline will eventually come back up and perhaps save another two or three cents a litre," GasBuddy.com's Dan McTeague told CTV. "But that will quickly be displaced by the provincial government's carbon tax, as well as the shift to summer gasoline, so we're still in the pickle."

The B.C. carbon tax increases from $30 per tonne of CO2 to $35 on April 1.

Across the border in Blaine, Wash., gas is selling for US$3.49 a gallon, or about $1.18 a litre including the exchange rate. That compares to $124.4 in Kelowna, $125.9 in Vernon and $122.9 in Penticton.

– with files from CTV Vancouver



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