This was next-level out of gas.

Several gas stations in Salmon Arm ran out of gas on July 1.

A survey of several local stations on Friday afternoon revealed that two Shell stations, the Husky station and Petro-Canada were completely without gasoline. The Chevron station had gas, but had been out earlier in the day.

The Super Save had a supply of gas, as did the Salmon Arm Co-op Gas Bar.

The Esso station on Mellors Frontage Road adjacent to Highway 97B also had gasoline.

In Sicamous, the gas stations reached there still had gasoline.

No definitive reasons were provided for the gasoline drought, other than speculation about the sudden increase in demand brought about by long weekend travellers freed from the constraints of the pandemic. That had likely put a strain on deliveries during the long weekend. Uncertainty surrounded the question of when the supply would resume, but expectations were that it would be soon.

Because of the July 1 holiday, the companies involved could not be contacted.

Earlier in the week, a slightly different situation arose in the Okanagan. Some Esso and Mobile gas stations in the Okanagan had signs up saying they were out of regular gasoline.

In response to a request from the Observer鈥檚 sister paper in 琉璃神社, parent company Imperial Oil wrote in an email that it had experienced an ethanol shortage at the Suncor Kamloops terminal because of rail delays in the U.S.

Suncor also replied by email saying Imperial Oil was 鈥渘ot providing enough ethanol to the terminal for blending to supply their Esso stations.鈥�

Suncor confirmed the shortage was not impacting Petro-Canada stations.

Imperial Oil explained the ethanol supply chain was improving and deliveries from the Kamloops terminal had resumed on Monday, June 27. The company said it expected inventories would be back to regular levels by the middle of the following week.

- With files from Brittany Webster

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