Resident Wendy Thon along with many other community members are calling for an all-out boycott of Cochrane gas stations this weekend (June 1 and 2).

Tired of feeling like the only thing getting pumped is money out of their wallets, Thon is hoping a weekend of boycotting local gas will have gas station owners changing their tune. "People are boycotting them already. I have had over two hundred comments from people who work in Calgary saying why would we pay that much more when we have to drive every day; so they are boycotting because they have been higher for three months. They haven't dropped their prices when everybody else did, they haven't fluctuated, and people are angry. I thought if we could boycott this then maybe they would realize they are losing money from their greed."

Hoping that by hitting the local stations over the weekend, owners will realize that residents are tired of being gouged. "I hope they realize how much they are actually losing. I have gone through all the small towns like Didsbury, Carstairs, and Cremona and they are $117.9, higher than Calgary, but they are still seven cents cheaper."

Rather than filling up in Cochrane, Thon says she would rather be running on fumes and fill up in Calgary than support local. She hasn't spoken to local service station owners but shares all she hears are excuses. "They say it is from the big companies down east, but if the big companies down east are only controlling Cochrane, how does that work?! I don't understand."

Thon says while she can appreciate comments in regards to price margins, she finds it difficult to understand why so many other small surrounding communities are still at least six cents lower. "People are still going to look for the best deals because the money is way better in our pockets than theirs."

As far as supporting local, Thon says absolutely support local businesses if they are in turn supporting our community. "I haven't seen in any of the functions that I have been at, that the service stations are supporting the community."

While Thon knows not everyone will choose to support a boycott, she at least feels the message being sent will be loud and clear. "I don't know how they can ever justify that they are so much more expensive than everybody else. I hope they are aware that people are looking elsewhere to spend their money and Cochrane's gas prices used to be cheaper than Calgary, and it was great to shop here. I don't know who has taken over, or why, but I know anyone who is working in Calgary is not buying gas in Cochrane."