IRAC hears about potential gains and losses from new 24/7 gas station in Borden-Carleton

Wayne Thibodeau · CBC News

· Posted: May 13, 2025 7:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 16 minutes ago

So galore radical packed into the proceeding country astatine the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission's bureau successful Charlottetown connected Tuesday that officials had to crook immoderate away.

They were determination to amusement enactment for 2 Borden-Carleton state presumption owners, Chad Ceretti from Ceretti's Grocery and Hardware and Chad Howatt of Howatt's Shell.

They're warring D.P. Murphy's plans to physique a state presumption adjacent the Confederation Bridge successful the occidental Prince Edward Island gateway assemblage that already hosts 3 state stations. IRAC is the assemblage that would assistance the state presumption licence. 

Murphy's connection includes a 24-hour Irving state station, a Tim Hortons restaurant, and two 3,000-square-foot retail spaces successful summation to hundreds of parking spaces for cars and large trucks and immoderate EV charging stations. 

Tuesday's discussions were dominated by what could beryllium gained — oregon mislaid — if this connection goes ahead.

Danny Murphy, president of D.P. Murphy, talked astir the existent authorities of Borden-Carleton, describing rusted alloy fencing, uncut grass and the still-hanging signs of businesses agelong shuttered 

"I'd springiness it a six retired of 10," the businessman told commissioners Kerri Carpenter, Terry McKenna and Gordon MacFarlane. 

Murphy says helium wants to beryllium portion of a improvement that transforms Borden-Carleton, drafting connections to Disney and asking wherefore determination isn't a elephantine Anne of Green Gables statue welcoming radical arsenic they get disconnected the span from New Brunswick.

His imaginativeness includes  a "Welcome Plaza" with what helium described arsenic a "truly iconic" Canadian brand, Tim Hortons, anchoring the improvement and operating 24/7.

He said it would beryllium a spot for radical to spell astatine each hours, and for truckers to parkland and find a spot to devour and drawback a java astatine times erstwhile the adjacent Confederation Bridge is closed to large trucks due to the fact that of atrocious weather. 

But there's been pushback successful the community. More than 400 radical person emailed IRAC to say they don't privation different state presumption successful their town. 

Many of those email writers were astatine the proceeding Tuesday. 

The lawyer for Ceretti's, Ryan MacDonald, said different state presumption successful the municipality would person "detrimental" effects that see the closure of Ceretti's.

MacDonald pointed retired that the caller improvement does not see afloat market options, hardware, oregon a nutrient counter, similar Ceretti's does. The lawyer said those services volition beryllium mislaid to townspeople if the caller state presumption puts Ceretti's retired of business. 

MacDonald besides argued that Murphy could proceed with his development without selling gas.

In his remarks to the commissioners, Murphy said helium doesn't judge his improvement volition enactment anybody retired of business. He said helium believes determination volition beryllium much concern wide successful Borden-Carleton with this caller development, saying that close now, a batch of radical thrust done the assemblage without stopping. 

Murphy said Prime Minister Mark Carney's run committedness to little the Confederation Bridge toll to $20 volition lone summation postulation going done Borden-Carleton.  

"They besides person longtime loyal customers who volition proceed to enactment their section state stations," Murphy said of his aboriginal competitors. 

His connection had its ain supporters, represented successful the signifier of letters from Robert Irving of Cavendish Farms, Andrew Keith from SFX Transport, and Corryn Clemence from the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island. 

The committee besides heard from an adept witnesser from the accounting firm Deloitte Canada.

Deloitte's Chris Robertson took a look astatine existent and projected state sales, traffic and colonisation maturation trends and determined that the municipality tin enactment different state station.

D.P. Murphy paid for that report, and Ceretti's lawyers challenged immoderate of the numbers.

The proceeding continues Wednesday.