Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 07/05) - While the federal government unveiled a plan yesterday to give low-income families relief from skyrocketing home fuel prices, the message from Yellowknifers is clear: all Northerners deserve a break.

"The cost of oil is unbelievable," said home-owner Tony Kwong Wednesday afternoon. "I think we should all get (rebates)."

Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew says the federal government is "acutely aware" of the concerns.

Those thoughts were echoed by other city dwellers, who have seen fuel prices spike in the wake of two southern hurricanes and turmoil in the Middle East.

Facing mounting public pressure, Ottawa unveiled a $2.4-billion, five-year package this week designed to offset those mounting costs.

The plan will include rebates between $125 and $250 this year for low-income families and seniors, said Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew. Over 3-million Canadians will benefit from the program, which will pay out $566-million. The relief package will also include subsidies for public transit and $1.04 billion to encourage more energy efficient homes.

"This is a good start," said Blondin-Andrew from Ottawa. "The people most in need to be dealt with first."

While most people who spoke to Yellowknifer welcomed the move, they urged the federal government to extend the package to Canadians above the poverty line.

"People deserve a break," said Chris Rothwell. "I'm paying more to fill my truck and when the winter comes around, my rent will probably go up too."

Shirley Rabesca and John Wetrade saw their rent jumped $100 a month last year because of the high cost of heating oil, which ranges between 86 and 94 cents per litre in Yellowknife. Those numbers are on par with Southern Canada, where the cost of furnace oil in urban centres has risen about 35 per cent within the last year.

"Things are just getting too expensive," said Rabesca. "They should extend this to everyone."

Blondin-Andrew said the federal government was "acutely aware" of those concerns. Ottawa could offer more relief during a fiscal update expected later this year or the next federal budget, she said. "We are always looking at issue of taxation."

While Lydia Bardak, chair of the Yellowknife Homeless Coalition, said the rebates will help, the government could do more to help low-income families. "Even before fuel prices went up, housing was above the means of the working poor," Bardak said.

People are often unable to make the transition from public to market housing because of the high cost of heating, especially during bitterly cold Northern winters, Bardak said. Meanwhile, the federal plan creates the Office of Petroleum Price Information, which will track oil and gas prices.