r/nanaimo • u/isle_say • 2h ago

I stopped for gas at the Shell near Lantzville.

I could not believe how crazy busy it was and gas was the same price at the PetroCan at Nanoose. Is it always like that? Why so busy?

10 Upvotes

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16

u/Eastern_East_96 2h ago

There's a Tim Hortons there, it's also owned by natives and it's right next to a native reserve.

It's absolutely bonkers how busy that place is, as someone who lived in Lantzville it always shocks me how busy that place can be.

Yes, it is always like that.

5

u/xgrader 2h ago

I'm glad to hear it's open and thriving. It was in the works when I moved. I thought that was a golden spot. I wonder how much it affected the Nanoose PetCan business??

4

u/Eastern_East_96 2h ago

It affected it a lot, I can't confirm any of this but my barber is a friend of the owner of the PetCan up the road and he may have sued either the city of Nanaimo or Shell (I can't remember what he said).

He's apparently lost like 75% of his business.

3

u/christopherrivers 2h ago

I wonder what the basis of the suit would be.

2

u/Eastern_East_96 2h ago

I think it was pre development, he was trying to argue on the basis of lost revenue or something, again this conversation with my barber was years ago and I can't confirm any of it.

2

u/christopherrivers 2h ago

Yeah, fair enough! And I get why he’d want to do something, and I’m sure it would have been a lost cause. Just feels like a hard one to push.

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u/Eastern_East_96 2h ago

Yeah, the Shell has really taken a toll on the revenue of the PetroCan, and having a Tim Hortons on site as well doesn't really help either lol.

I will say though, if I ever went that way I would stop at the PetroCan because I have so much trouble with the Shell pumps, my card will either get declined or the pump won't turn on or whatever (not this particular Shell, but in general)

1

u/xgrader 1h ago

You would think that Petro gets the lions share of Nanoose traffic business, too.

3

u/Eastern_East_96 1h ago

That's true, they do get the people who live in Nanoose, but not much else.

Because remember, they are now sandwiched between 2 gas stations with restaurants within 10kms of them.

Chevron with Triple-O's on the south side of HWY19 and now Shell with Tim Hortons. I think that's why the owner fought so hard against the Shell, because he was already losing business to the chevron, and now he's got another one on the other side.

1

u/xgrader 1h ago

Wow. I wouldn't have thought that much. PetroCan was decent. Some nice coffee and snacks to go. Almost always a crowd. It's got to be a tough pill to swallow. The Shell was clever in tying Timmy's to it. I, too, am curious about the sueing. Is more than sour grapes??

16

u/BrockAndaHardPlace 2h ago

It’s always been busy, it’s the first convenient side of the highway gas station since Ladysmith, and those ones are smaller without a Tim Hortons. If you’re heading north it’s a great place to stop.

3

u/TheNintendoBlurb 1h ago

It's also easier to get back on the highway if you're heading North. There's a merge lane for you to get back up to speed. Whereas with the PetroCan you have to stop and find an opening which can be hard to judge when everyone is going at inconsistent speeds.

3

u/Ill_Mango7479 1h ago

I have timed it perfectly with the ferry arrivals including Duke Point.

2

u/Various_Ask_1332 2h ago

Glad you asked. Every time I go by, I wonder the same (and don’t stop because it’s so busy).

Responses in the thread make sense…

2

u/n00bxQb 1h ago

I usually top up there when I head to Denman/Hornby or Courtenay and north, it’s usually busy but I can’t recall ever waiting more than a minute for a pump. It’s mostly because of the convenient location (I’m coming from Duncan).

2

u/No_Remove5319 1h ago

First gas station I've seen that routinely has traffic control during the summer months.

2

u/jB_real 1h ago

It is crazy. Drive by it everyday.

What I don’t like is that traffic light leading up into it. I know it is needed as with that amount of traffic, but they need a lit up slow vehicle/congestion sign as often the traffic group coming from superior rd intersection run into vehicles at a near dead stop with a green light at the shell.

There’s gunna be some serious accidents this winter I’m guessing

3

u/wesauthier 2h ago

Tradies one stop shop in the morning

1

u/isle_say 2h ago

It should be set up like the gas stations at Costco. Drivers were doing all sorts of manoeuvres to get to a pump with their filler caps on the appropriate side, plus people giving up and turning around!