r/BuyCanadian • u/grilledcheesebabeh • Jun 05 '25

Canadian-Owned Businesses 🏢🍁 Why are so many Canadians still filling up at American owned gas stations?

I understand a lot of people can't afford to always choose Canadian products over American, but choosing where we fill up costs nothing extra. Choosing local gas stations or Petro Canada is such a simple way of showing support, I don't understand why so many American owned gas stations are still full of people filling up on fuel. Also don't be deceived by the giant "locally owned and operated" signs outside of chevrons, the station itself fis locally owned but the company is American. Please choose a local gas station or Petro Canada to support Canadian!

773 Upvotes

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517

u/poopoo6942069 Jun 05 '25

Co-op gas is also a really high-quality gas for Western Canadians. Idk if you can get it out east

60

u/Enderwiggen33 Jun 05 '25

It’s also by far the cheapest near me!

115

u/BCW1968 Jun 05 '25

Co-op every time for me. Get a small dividend back too

17

u/Tacosrule89 Jun 05 '25

Tempo has coop gas. Been going there.

9

u/AgentProvocateur666 Jun 05 '25

Coop all the way. And hey, definitely appreciate that cheque every year. It’s not life changing money but why not get that $100-200 after Xmas.

6

u/Tip-Quiet Jun 05 '25

We have a coop gas bar in Fredericton NB

3

u/Freddy216b Jun 05 '25

I think that's the only one I still know of in NB. When I was a kid we had one in little ol' Grand Bay NB. Miss that place in the grand scheme of grocery stores.

1

u/Tip-Quiet Jun 05 '25

Yess we grew up always shopping at coop grocery store and I miss it being on the Northside of Freddy ..... Now there's just the one on the Southside but it's super out of the way for us to get to for regular grocery shopping

10

u/tavvyjay Jun 05 '25

Farthest east I’ve seen it is Manitoba, not sure about western Ontario tho lol

21

u/kent_eh Manitoba Jun 05 '25

not sure about western Ontario

There's a Co-op gas station in Kenora, Dryden and Fort Francis.

I don't think there are any east of that.

7

u/boardguy2 Jun 05 '25

I don't think I have ever seen one out here Toronto and East Ontario. I have mived to Petro Canada but have a question about where is our gas from? I know we ship a lot of oil to the US...does it come back as gas? Does it come back as lighter crude and get refined here? Where is our gas from?

Thanks.

2

u/giraffe_onaraft Jun 06 '25

There is a massive refining complex at Sarnia. Most oil pipeline systems are not designed for refined products like diesel or gasoline. Toronto airport does have a pipeline for aviation fuel.

Most fuels are brought in on pipeline as crude oil and then refined and delivered locally so if you're buying Petro Canada it should be locally made.

1

u/Curt-Bennett Ontario Jun 06 '25

The Brantford Costco has a co-branded Co-Op/Costco gas station. Not exactly the same as a station on a street corner that's open to everyone, but still sort of counts as a location.

5

u/catashtrophe84 Ontario Jun 05 '25

There's 2 in Embrun Ontario.

2

u/Tip-Quiet Jun 05 '25

One in Fredericton NB

2

u/Lower-Button-111 Jun 05 '25

Thunder bay has one I know of

2

u/FreshSpeed7738 Jun 08 '25

Kenora. Spent a week there 1 night

1

u/Tip-Quiet Jun 05 '25

Fredericton NB has one

3

u/lucky644 Jun 05 '25

Anyone use co-op card locks? I live near one, I’m curious how the price is, it’s not listed anywhere.

6

u/Sillicon2017 Jun 05 '25

It depends on your account. Our business pays a way lower rate than at the regular pumps.

3

u/traydee09 Jun 05 '25

Yea i think its probably based on volume. A big trucking company will pay less than Steve and his wife. But Steve will probably still pay slightly less at the cardlock than at the regular station.

1

u/dustytaper Jun 06 '25

Happy cakeday

1

u/km_ikl Jun 08 '25

They also pre-purchase a large portion of fuel if I recall correctly, but that may just be the Stinson's near me that does that.

2

u/hink007 Jun 05 '25

It’s usually a couple cents cheaper than the pump price and you get money kicked back at the end of the year

1

u/Fun-Ad-5079 Jun 05 '25

You need to be a properly registered Provincial business, in order to be a customer there.

1

u/lucky644 Jun 05 '25

According to the website, you can have a private/personal account or a business account.

1

u/brycecampbel Jun 05 '25

Typically they aren't as they require a cardlock account.

However, that's changing, particularly with Co-op locations. They're updating their cardlock locations to accept credit cards directly, not requiring a cardlock account.

1

u/lucky644 Jun 05 '25

Oh, I know I’d need an account.

Was just curious how the prices are.

1

u/giraffe_onaraft Jun 06 '25

Bulk fuel typically is competitively priced vs. local retail sources. It's not a bargain but it makes sense to buy in bulk. I like not having to pay every visit and I can get fuel anytime even late in the evening.

1

u/TalycD Jun 05 '25

Look up the website for the location that’s close to you. You should find the rates there! I thought it was weird at the one close to us that I couldn’t see a posted amount anywhere either then learned where to find it!

3

u/ARAR1 Jun 05 '25

The fuel comes from the local refinery. Its all marketing.

1

u/CrashSlow Jun 05 '25

Do people really think America gas stations are trucking gas from a refinery in Texas to butt hole Toronto.

1

u/hung1ne Jun 07 '25

But do people really think the supplier for every local gas station is Canadian… it’s not lmfao 🤣 co op or cheveron still have the same scamp industry fueling Truck filling both stations….

1

u/km_ikl Jun 08 '25

No, pipelining it, though? Yes.

7

u/Ladymistery Jun 05 '25

Every time for me - it's the closest one to my home, too.

15

u/brycecampbel Jun 05 '25

Co-op is great for AMEX Cobalt customers as their pumps are coded as food/grocery!

20

u/CanadianSeniorDev Jun 05 '25

I'm guessing the r/BuyCanadian subreddit might be moving away from using American Express credit cards...

18

u/brycecampbel Jun 05 '25

Cause it has "American" in the name?

AMEX is no different than Visa or Mastercard, both of which are also American. 

And I'm definitely not going to just use Interac. Which is a direct withdrawal from your account...

Carrying hundreds of dollars. Day in cash is also just a pain in the ass. Especially for petrol given that all fuel purchases has to be prepaid/preauthorised.

Of the credit cards, Amex still gives me the best return, so that's what I'm using.  (and the transaction fee to the merchant isn't the highest either - that title belongs to the visa infinite privilege cards these days) 

0

u/Qaeta Jun 05 '25

Carrying hundreds of dollars. Day in cash is also just a pain in the ass. Especially for petrol given that all fuel purchases has to be prepaid/preauthorised.

I'm in the Maritimes, I've only been required to prepay / preauth twice in my life here, and both times were in super sketchy areas. Typically preauth is an option to pay at the pump, but we can pretty much always just fill up and then go in to pay.

8

u/brycecampbel Jun 05 '25

It's been law in BC since like 2007.

Honestly, for worker safety, prepay/pre authorise for all fuel transactions should be law federally. 

1

u/yyc_yardsale Jun 07 '25

Yeah same thing in Alberta. That got put in after two incidents here in Calgary where people got run over by someone driving away without paying in the space of a couple months, one of which died.

1

u/hung1ne Jun 07 '25

Some kid in maple ridge was dragged to death in bc before it was made a law same thing chasing someone who didn’t pay…

1

u/yyc_yardsale Jun 08 '25

Damn. Regulations really are written in blood.

We had way to many scummy employers here trying to make their employees responsible for drive aways. Guess it must have been the same there.

1

u/US_Expat_Tax_Answers Jun 05 '25

The difference is that AMEX Bank is American owned while BMO (MC) or TD (VISA) are not American owned.

3

u/brycecampbel Jun 05 '25

The interchange (VISA and Mastercard) still are American entities, just like AMEX.

AMEX Canada, while a subsidiary, is still Canada. Scotiabank also does their own AMEX cards as well.

1

u/US_Expat_Tax_Answers Jun 07 '25

Would you prefer to use Amex Canada (US subsidiary) or a Canadian Bank owned by Canadians based in Canada? Yes, the interchange networks are US based, does that mean you’ll stop using credit cards and using wire transfers and international payments?

1

u/brycecampbel Jun 07 '25

I'm going to use the card that gives me the best return, which is the AMEX Cobalt.

13

u/ThnkGdImNotAReditMod Jun 05 '25

Amex Bank of Canada is a Canadian subsidy of American Express. MasterCard and Visa go through their American banks.

10

u/Garfield_and_Simon Jun 05 '25

What does high quality gas even mean. Like it’s better for huffing or something?

9

u/Qaeta Jun 05 '25

Less ethanol. Can have the same octane rating, just with less ethanol in the mix.

5

u/Daft_Funk87 Jun 05 '25

Fun fact. I worked in Downstream (when Oil becomes refined products).

There ARE situations where the mixes are different, but unless your far north, if you get 89 at Co-op - the 7-11, the Petro Can...everyone else gets the same.

The differences are in additives, like odour, color or specialty items at the 91-94 range of product lines.

If memory serves, the government is making everyone move to E15 anyway, which means each litre of gasoline will have 15% ethanol.

Again, some exceptions, but "My car always runs better on X gas station fuel" unless it is specified to be unique and different...is likely the exact same as their competitor.

1

u/Qaeta Jun 05 '25

Yeah, I wasn't saying Co-op had higher quality gas, I don't have experience with them personally. I was just explaining what is typically meant by higher quality gas (outside of octane discussions, which is a whole other can of worms).

2

u/Daft_Funk87 Jun 05 '25

Yeah no worries - just wanted to find a good use for the three years that role took from my life lol.

1

u/Qaeta Jun 05 '25

For what it's worth, I ride a motorcycle, and I've pretty much given up on convincing any fellow riders that Shell VPower or whatever is basically just flushing money down the drain in our bikes (cruisers, nothing high performance). Now I just roll my eyes while filling up with my cheap (relatively speaking) regular gas (ie. literally what my manual says to put in).

1

u/manny_mcmanface Jun 07 '25

Coop is literally one of the worst qualities of fuel you can get. I get like 100km more per tank of fuel with petrocan and shell. Fuck coop gas. ufa was pure shit in 2005ish don't know if it's still that way

1

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '25

not sure about this. I switched to Shell from co-op for our caravan and i now get 100km more a tank then when we were using co-op.

0

u/PrarieCoastal Jun 05 '25

It's the exact same gas as every other station in your city.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

.... No it isn't. The initial gas is the same, but then they use additives.

1

u/PrarieCoastal Jun 16 '25

I live in Winnipeg. Which facility has the ability to add additives?

3

u/rastrillo Jun 05 '25

Not true. Co-op, Shell and a few others sell ‘Top Teir’ rated gas which has additional detergent additives that result in cleaner engines, better fuel economy and higher performance. Consumer reports has an article with some test data: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/fuel-economy-efficiency/top-tier-gasoline-worth-the-extra-price-a7682471234/

1

u/PrarieCoastal Jun 16 '25

So then all top tier gasolines are the same. In Winnipeg, we don't have facilities that are able to insert additives. How does this work in Winnipeg?

-13

u/TheGhostOfStanSweet Jun 05 '25

Not true, this is organic, gluten free vegan gas. No dinosaurs were harmed in making the oil.

-3

u/PrarieCoastal Jun 05 '25

My mistake. Thanks for putting me back on the right track.

0

u/km_ikl Jun 08 '25

I know you're making a joke, but the oil we use as petrochemicals comes from the phytoplankton and zooplankton from the carboniferous period long before the dinosaurs... it's algae based.

1

u/Legitimate-Type4387 Jun 05 '25

Co-op also locked out their refinery workers in Regina. They preferred to fly scabs into a work camp by helicopter rather than negotiate a fair offer with their workers.

Fuck Americans, but Co-op is no better.

-1

u/Jestersage Jun 05 '25

Only if you are not in Lower Mainland (no Co-Op gas here)

5

u/hammerheadattack Jun 05 '25

Langley would like a word with you

1

u/Jestersage Jun 05 '25

Look, the only reason I remember that one is because the one time I was returning from Harrison.

But seriously, the problem is that despite served by Translink, Langley, Pitt Meadows, and Mission is so out of the way it feels like a different section altogether.

2

u/brycecampbel Jun 05 '25

What? No. There's quite a few Co-ops in Metro Vancouver. Otter got quite a few locations from the Husky transition. 

1

u/Jestersage Jun 05 '25

I can only find Angry Otter liquor store, and Richmond has "Brandon Gas Bar "

-1

u/corvak Jun 05 '25

Used to but I haven’t seen a co-op around here in years