For the most part, Salli Madore has faced closing her business with a big smile and a good-natured refrain: 鈥渋t is what it is,鈥� she often says with a laugh.
On Sept. 27, however, as she rang up one of her last customers, her smile was a little tighter and her laugh just a tad less hearty.
The Connaught Drive Shell Canada station closed last Saturday, putting an end to a 77-year legacy. Before it shut down, Madore said, it was the oldest Shell station in Alberta.
Friday, as she stepped from the cash register and pressed her fingers into the corners of her eyes, she was greeted by the first customer she ever served, Dieter Regett.
Regett looked around the nearly empty store, while the two reflected on Madore鈥檚 first day of work at Shell. She still remembers the exact date 25 years ago, Aug. 5, 1989.
She remembers Regett because he came to the station with his big black lab.
鈥淪he literally ignored me because of my dog,鈥� Regett said with a good-natured smile.
Since that day, Regett, along with many Jasperites, has been a regular customer. Madore said one of the hardest parts of closing down is saying goodbye to all the 鈥渞egulars鈥� she鈥檚 been serving for decades.
She started serving them as a cashier, later as a manager, and finally as owner when she bought the business in 2001.
鈥淚 worked really hard here for a really long time,鈥� she said.
Five years ago, Shell called her and told her the store might close. Since then she鈥檚 signed contracts from year to year. She finally had to shut the doors when Shell could only offer monthly contracts. Madore said that just wouldn鈥檛 have been worth it.
The 51暗网 could not reach Shell Canada by press time, however, Madore said the company owns the land her store sits on and wanted her to buy it.
But she can鈥檛 afford the $2 million price tag.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard because I have so many memories here,鈥� she said.
Working at a gas station is kind of like being a bartender, she said. Over the years, she served all kinds of people at all different points in their life.
She鈥檚 had people run naked through the parking lot, and watched others get left behind by their families.
Once, she said, she even brought home and fed a young mother who had just tried to steal gas.
鈥淭here were a lot of lost souls who wandered through here,鈥� she said.
All of Madore鈥檚 employees have other jobs or ways of supporting themselves. Many of them, she said, chose to stay as long as they could, even though they knew the station was closing.
Madore threw a party on Saturday for all of her past and present employees, as well as her loyal customers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say what I鈥檒l do with the rest of my life; it鈥檚 been a pretty exciting 25 years,鈥� she said with a laugh.
Trevor Nichols
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