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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article that featured centenarian Murray Westgate, the smiling Esso gas station “attendant,” who many years ago, wished everyone watching Hockey Night In Canada “Happy Motoring.”

That was easy for him to say with a gallon of regular gas selling for less than half a buck and for one of those huge Imperial gallons of gas priced at 39.9 cents in 1960.

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Over the years, the price of gasoline continued to rise as did almost every commodity known to man and woman. So there was no wonder that on April 10, 1975, cars started gathering when the sign out in front of the Sunoco gas station at the corner of Jarvis and Isabella suddenly appeared reading a paltry 14.4 cents.

Unfortunately, most of those same drivers had failed to notice the modifying words “Gasoline per litre” appearing above the price. That was no doubt because they recalled that just the previous day that same sign announced gasoline at 65.9 cents. Had a gas price war erupted over night? What was going on, gas prices never go down.