Really? As far as I can remember, it used to be pre-pay ever since I was a kid.
Mom would give me a $20, I'd walk in to the gas station attendant and tell which pump to turn on. She started pumping as soon as the pump was turned on, while I stayed inside.
She'd hand signal me that she's finished and whether or not change was needed. If change was needed I'd ask for the change and mom would let me keep the change.
I think most people my age did this in my area.
People improvised back in the days before cell phones, pay at the pump, or plastic was the norm.
According to this, it seems Ontario struck the pre-pay for gas bill down.
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews...07-163204.html
I'm a few weeks from 40, so I well remember what you're talking about, but most people are now spoiled by plastic and are no longer used to prepaying. I know I'm not any more. Even my 78 year old mother is surprised when places make you prepay. That used to be the norm, but it isn't in most places anymore.