Soaring gas prices escalate affordability concerns for Northern Sask.

The US-Iran war has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, the consequences of which are being realized in northern Saskatchewan.

According to Jordan McPhail, NDP MLA for Cumberland, and Shadow Minister for Ethics & Democracy, Northern Affairs, Forestry, and SaskTel, gas prices in Saskatchewan’s far northern communities like Fond du Lac spiked over $3.00 per litre.

He said other northern communities, like Denare Beach and Creighton, have seen gas prices rise above $2.00 per litre.

“Every person that we walk to in coffee row, at our churches and uni-plexes – everyone is feeling the squeeze of the higher price of gas around here,” McPhail told Eagle Feather News.

The soaring gas prices are a result of targeted attacks from the US on Iran’s oil facilities, effectively closing the Straight of Hormuz, a major oil shipping channel. Last week, Iran declared the straight closed and threatened to attack any shipped attempting to pass through.

Roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil consumption flows through the Straight of Hormuz on a given day. As a result of the closure, other major oil producers such as Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE have cut oil production.

US President Donald Trump justified the attacks and stated not to worry about the soaring gas prices, which he said are a “small price to pay” for global safety.

In Northern Saskatchewan, those soaring prices effect more than just the price at the pump, said McPhail.

“From a food security standpoint, the higher price of fuel means higher prices of food,” said McPhail. “The vast majority of folks up north go to the grocery store, and the further away from the grocer you are, the most transport costs there is.”

According to the Sask Health Authority, food prices in northern Saskatchewan are the highest in the province, with a family four spending an average of roughly $360 to $450 per week in 2025. High transportation costs will drive up the prices, with extreme examples including $20 for milk and $160 for turkeys, according to reports.

Those who hunt and fish for their own food will face negative impacts of the high prices as well, said McPhail.

“For the folks that will go out and set nets, or ice fish or hunt, they need to fuel their quads, snow mobiles, and trucks, to be able to access the parts of the lands where they can gather and provide sustenance for their table,” he said.

The Saskatchewan NDP has called on the provincial government to temporarily or cut the 15-cent-per-litre provincial fuel tax in order to provide immediate relief for the high gas prices.

Finance Minister Jim Reiter stated on March 18 that the government is not currently considering fuel tax relief measures.

“Because due to the higher price of oil and Saskatchewan having a budget that has a heavy reliance on the cost of a barrel of oil, we know this means windfall revenues for the province of Saskatchewan and Scott Moe’s government,” said McPhail.

“We were thinking it would be a fairly reasonable ask, on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan who are feeling this pinch, that the windfall revenues that the province is bringing in is split in-part or in whole with folks in the province that need the desperate affordability relief, which did not come in the provincial budget this week.”

Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Crown Investment Corporations, and MLA for Meadow Lake, where he still resides, said it’s too early to know what impacts the US-Iran war will have on Saskatchewan.

“It is too early to tell what impact, if any, this conflict may have on oil production in Saskatchewan, or on provincial finances. Saskatchewan’s strong and resilient energy sector is well positioned to absorb oil price fluctuations, which are common,” Harrison told Eagle Feather News.

Harrison said affordability remains a top priority of the Saskatchewan government, and that the province is well positioned to weather the global instability seen over the past several years.

“We are well aware of affordability issues Saskatchewan citizens are facing, and we are going to do everything we can to keep our fiscal situation sound and protect this province and our citizens, especially the citizens of the north,” he said.

Harrison outlined several investments, including the Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy and Supply Plan and Strengthening Saskatchewan’s Grid: Transmission to Power Communities and Growth Plan, which he said will strengthen the grid across the province. And the Denison and NexGen Energy uranium mines in northern Saskatchewan, which he said will have a strong economic impact on the region.

“Our government is protecting Saskatchewan by building on a strong economy, keeping the province the most affordable place to live, work, and raise a family, and ensuring these benefits reach all its residents,” said Harrison.

According to GasBuddy records, average gas prices in Saskatchewan have grown over 33 percent since the beginning of 2026.