April 1 marks the first day of changes to several taxes across Canada, including the federal excise tax on alcohol and the national carbon tax.

The carbon tax is set to increase by $15 per tonne to $85 per tonne. Across Canada, the added carbon price for gasoline will now be 17.6 cents per litre, up 3.3 cents per litre from before.

According to Trevor Imeson, owner of the Cow Lake Store, people were lining up at the pumps over the long weekend. “Many of our locals especially around the Cow Lake area were filling every one of their vehicles up. All of their ATVs, side by sides, motorcycles, sleds, their jerry cans. I can’t say if we had that many more people show up because it’s traditionally a slower weekend. It’s the Easter long weekend, a lot of people are staying home with their families. [People we’re] bringing in more jerry cans than normal.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has released its estimate for how much money Albertans would pay in the federal carbon tax. Citing data from the Parliamentary Budget Office, CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims says that means the cost of the carbon tax for the average Albertan household will be 911 dollars in 2024-25.

However, the federal government confirmed back in February that the amount Albertans receive from the carbon tax rebate will go up as well. Starting with the April 2024 installment, they say Albertans will get $450 back each quarter, or 1,800 dollars annually. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says that eight out of ten Canadian families will get more back than they pay.