OTTAWA - The consumption of gasoline in Canada continued to increase last year despite steady increases in the price of a litre of fuel.
Statistics Canada says sales volumes in 2007 rose 2.3 per cent to 40.9 billion litres, reflecting rising fuel use for everything from cars and farm machinery and construction to other off-road uses.
The average cost for a litre of gas in Canada rose during 2007 to about $101.8 from about 90 cents.
But that was before big spikes in the price of oil this year drove the average cost of a litre to peak above the $1.50 mark.
The volume of gasoline sold increased 2.7 per cent over the five years leading up to 2007.
Ontario and Quebec accounted for 59.5 per cent of the 2007 gasoline consumption in Canada.
The Prairies, including the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut, followed at 21.4 per cent, while British Columbia accounted for 11.6 per cent and the Atlantic provinces 7.5 per cent.
Nationally, gasoline sales peaked during July 2007 at 3.6 billion litres and August at 3.8 billion litres.
