Wreck Cove General Store Shutting Down Gas Pumps

Image: This sign just off Hwy 105 Exit 11 alerts travelers to the next gas stop along the Cabot Trail. Until recently, that stop was the Wreck Cove General Store. On March 20, business owners Brent Partland and Jenn Rhodes announced that any remaining fuel would be available to emergency vehicles and stranded motorists only. Spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (DTIR) Marla Macinnis says DTIR is making arrangements for the removal of the sign and expects to have it down soon.

~Carolyn Barber, The Victoria Standard

Motorists passing through Wreck Cove looking for gas will now have to drive 15 km east to Ingonish Ferry or 85 km west to Baddeck.

Wreck Cove General Store owners Brent Partland and Jenn Rhodes announced March 20, 1:38pm, on social media that they will no longer be selling gas. They are reserving any remaining fuel for emergency services vehicles and stranded motorists.

“At some point in the past, before we owned the store, there was a massive fuel leak or spill. It was not cleaned up or reported. So, we are stuck with the huge out of pocket expense of cleaning it up. And we WILL clean it up,” read the March 20 Facebook post. They will still be open as a store and cottages.

The Standard reached out to Partland for comment but did not receive a reply.

The Facebook post was removed amid comments on social media coming to the defence of the previous owner, Marcelle Lavoie of St. Ann’s.

On March 20, 6:30pm, Lavoie posted the following comment to her Facebook feed:

“If anyone is interested in hearing the facts about my business practices around my gas tanks and underground lines feel free to contact me. I have substantiating evidence with the long standing Petroleum company which has tested gas station tanks and lines for Cape Breton Island.”

Lavoie opened Wreck Cove General Store in 1976 and installed gas pumps in 1986. She sold the business to Partland and Rhodes in February 2014.

On March 23, Lavoie told The Standard that she knows nothing about the fuel leak. According to Lavoie, Linpro Petroleum Services Ltd. conducted all tests in the almost 40 years she owned the business, including annual pressure tests to determine the presence of leaks. She also performed manual dip tests each day before opening the store and logged the information as required. Lavoie also purchased costly environmental insurance while she ran the business.

On March 20, someone from mainland Nova Scotia launched a Gofundme page, “Save the Gas Bar at Wreck Cove General Store” to raise $400,000 to cover the cost of remediation. Less than $1000 had been raised as of press time.

Communications advisor for the province Lisa Jarrett wrote in an email to The Standard that the Department of Environment and Labour was notified Sept. 18, 2018 about the fuel leak.

“The owner of the property is going through the process for contaminated sites as per the regulations,” wrote Jarrett. “As required, they have hired a site professional (ie qualified engineer) to manage the cleanup. We will have more details once the site professional has had time to complete an assessment.”

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