Borden-Carleton residents speak out against fourth gas station in the town 

Wayne Thibodeau · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 5:42 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Many residents successful and astir Borden-Carleton showed up Monday nighttime to stock their concerns implicit plans for a 4th state presumption successful their town.

Borden-Kinkora MLA Matt MacFarlane called the gathering to sermon an exertion by D.P. Murphy to physique a caller state presumption successful the town. 

More than 100 radical came retired for the gathering astatine the Legion. 

Jennifer Murray of North Tryon says she's fearful that if the caller state presumption is approved, it volition jeopardize the 2 household owned state stations successful the town, Ceretti's and Howatt's.

"It's that affable face, arsenic soon arsenic you locomotion successful the store, they cognize what you called successful for and they cognize what you're determination for," Murray said pursuing the meeting. "That's a existent loss. We don't person that anymore."

'Why bash we request four?'

D.P. Murphy, which owns the Tim Hortons, Wendy's and Boston Pizza franchises connected P.E.I., is down plans for the caller state station. If approved, it would see a 24/7 Irving state station, Tim Hortons, convenience store and EV charging stations.

In its application, D.P. Murphy said that portion Borden-Carleton has a tiny population, the municipality serves arsenic the "main entryway" to P.E.I., and galore travellers walk done the town.

But Paul Dawson of Cape Traverse said a caller state presumption is not needed.

"Right now, we person 3 work stations successful the area, and determination are 700 radical successful the area. Why bash we request 4 work stations?" asked Dawson. 

"The [City] of Summerside, they person 7 work stations serving 30,000 people. We don't request a 4th work presumption successful the area."  

'A shame to spot that end'

Denise Robinson of Searleton besides doesn't spot the request for different state station.

Robinson told radical successful the assemblage however the locally-owned state stations proceed to measurement up for the community, similar erstwhile post-tropical tempest Fiona deed the province. She said they opened their doors for radical to get warm, complaint their phones and get a coffee.   

"They lend truthful overmuch to the community," she said. "It would beryllium a shame to spot that end."

In a connection to CBC News, D.P. Murphy said it is respecting the processes of each regulatory and municipal authorities, adding, "We look guardant to having our respective applications judged connected its merits."

The institution went connected to say: "We are precise excited astir the unsocial features our prospective improvement tin bring to the assemblage of Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island, and our valued tourists fixed our property's distinctive determination adjacent to the Confederation Bridge. We cognize that these processes are indispensable to guarantee that each aspects of improvement are considered and conscionable the applicable standards and requirements."

'I had concerns then'

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission inactive has to o.k. the exertion for the caller state station.

That proceeding is scheduled for May 13.

MacFarlane said helium plans to guardant the comments helium heard to the commission.

But nationalist consultation is present over, truthful it's unclear whether the commissioners volition ever spot those comments. 

"It is slim, but the information of the substance is that it's been astir 2 years since the nationalist has had a accidental to measurement successful connected this project. We're going backmost to June and July 2023," said MacFarlane.

"So my extremity present this evening was to springiness a accidental to the radical of the municipality and the assemblage to get caught up connected the matter."

MacFarlane said helium wrote a missive earlier helium was elected arsenic an MLA opposing the 4th state station.

"I had concerns then," said MacFarlane. "I'm taking a neutral presumption now."