You never know how convenient it is to have a neighbourhood convenience store, until you don't have one.
OK, technically, when I moved to Prince Rupert on the west side of town, there was a neighbourhood store at the corner of Park Avenue and Smithers Street.
But it was so dark and dingy and stinky, people rarely visited it. In fact, most of the time it didn't even look like it was open; it had an abandoned kind of feel to it.
A few months ago, however, new owners took over and, wow, what a turnaround. They started by cleaning it up, both inside and outside, improved the lighting and somehow got rid of the stink.
They improved the stock and then started bringing in extras such as fresh popcorn and fried chicken. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks and smells delicious.
But la pièce de résistance is they brought back the gas pumps.
Now, instead of a derelict setting for a post-apocalyptic zombie flick, it is a thriving focal point of the neighbourhood.
The first time I got gas there, I was able to pump the gas and then go in and pay. I knew, of course, that it was probably a glitch and would not last as it is illegal in B.C. (Grant's Law). But for one brief shining moment, I was taken back to simpler times when we didn't worry about gas station attendants being killed by gas-and-dashers.
In retrospect, maybe we should have, but we didn't. Somehow the world at least seemed like a safer place, although I suspect it wasn't.
Then again, we also used to have full-service gas stations where you could get your gas pumped, oil checked and windshield washed.
True story.
In any event, it is wonderful to have this great addition to our neighbourhood, a store you can walk to and pick up whatever the item was you forgot when you were downtown and a place you can stop for gas at on your way home from or to work.
Kudos to the new owners and welcome to the neigbourhood.
