Baddeck Circle K stops parcel handling with Maritime Bus

People in Baddeck, N.S.are bemoaning the loss of a delivery service.

Traditionally, everything from water samples to car parts have been delivered by Maritime Bus to the Circle K convenience store on the Trans Canada Highway.

Maritime Bus spokesperson Wenda Pitre says the service ended when Circle K owner Couche-Tard informed her it was no longer interested in being an agent which sells bus tickets and handles parcels in Baddeck.

"They were doing renovations,or have plans on changing something with the station and that they were no longer interested in having the bus service," Pitre said.

The nearest parcel depot is now 40kilometres away in Whycocomaghwhere the publisher of the Victoria Standard, Jim Morrow, must now travel to pick up a vanload of his bi-weekly newspapers from the printer.

"It's an extra hour in your morning that you weren't counting on," said Morrow. "That's our distribution day too of course,so it slows our distribution down."

Couche-Tard's decision is anexample of a deeper issue affecting rural communities, Morrow says.

"Its a corporate decision that doesn't understand community reality. A corporate decision made in Montreal is affecting not only ourselves, but mechanics,anybody who uses Maritime Bus for their freight."

Couche-Tardcould not be reached for comment.

Pitre says she is looking for a new agent in the area.