(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Canada think fuel costs will be higher this summer, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid released by the Canadian Centre for Energy Information. 79 per cent of respondents expect gas prices to increase.

On Apr. 21, the price of an oil barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange reached a record high of $75.35 U.S. On Jun. 9, the cost was $71.63 U.S.

Last week, a survey of 60 Canadian communities released by MJ Ervin & Associates found that the average cost for a litre of gas in the country is 97 cents, up 5 cents since May.

In April, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper discussed the situation, saying, "I think we're going to see sustained upward pressure on (fuel) prices for some time to come. This is something we're all going to have to adapt to and it's one of the reasons why when we deal with climate change and other issues, we're going to want to encourage the development of alternative energy sources."

Earlier this month, Statistics Canada revealed that gasoline sales in the country fell by 1.4 per cent in 2005. The numbers mark the first decline since 1994, aside from a brief disruption and air travel ban following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

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