Proposed 4th gas station for Borden-Carleton will now await IRAC decision

Wayne Thibodeau · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 8:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

The aboriginal of a arguable improvement adjacent the Confederation Bridge successful Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., is present successful the hands of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.

Three days of hearings wrapped up Thursday in Charlottetown.

Danny Murphy, president of D.P. Murphy Group of Companies, wants to physique a 24-hour Irving state station, Tim Hortons, convenience store and two 3,000-square-foot retail spaces successful the town.

The institution needs IRAC's support for a licence to merchantability gas. It doesn't need approval to physique the improvement itself. 

Chad Ceretti, owner of Ceretti's Grocery and Hardware, said he's relieved the hearings are over. He's warring the planned development, which would beryllium built adjacent doorway to his business. 

"It's been a agelong mates of days, there's a value that's been lifted, you cognize each the physique up to it. It's been lifted, for now, until a determination is made," Ceretti told CBC News aft the hearings wrapped up. 

"We person a tremendous magnitude of support, cipher wants to spot the small feline spell by the wayside. It's portion of P.E.I.'s charm and they're with us. They archer us they're down us."

In a connection to CBC News, D.P. Murphy says the institution maintains its "excitement regarding the projected improvement successful Borden-Carleton and is hopeful that the committee grants [it] the quality to service the evolving needs of the community, Island and our valued tourists."

WATCH | Fate of projected Borden-Carleton state presumption present successful IRAC's hands arsenic hearings wrapper up:

During the hearing, the 3 IRAC commissioners – Kerri Carpenter, Terry McKenna and Gordon MacFarlane – heard astir the imaginable interaction the improvement would person connected Ceretti's. 

A study prepared for Ceretti's said the D.P. Murphy project would outgo the family-owned concern thousands of dollars, resulting successful its "imminent closure."

Chad Howatt of Howatt's Shell was an intervener successful the case, but did not marque a ceremonial presumption during the hearing. 

Officials with D.P. Murphy argued its development would beryllium providing a caller work to the town, which is the gateway to the province. The institution said its improvement would person tons of parking for cars, large trucks and RVs; bright, modern bathrooms; EV charging stations; and a spot wherever motorists tin halt 24 hours a day.  

'The quicker the better'

The Petroleum Products Act, which volition usher IRAC successful its decision, states that when issuing a state presumption license, the committee should see "demand for the projected service, the determination of the outlet, postulation flows and the applicant's grounds of performance."

If either broadside is not blessed with IRAC's ruling, they could entreaty it to the P.E.I. Supreme Court.

WATCH | Owner of Borden-Carleton store 'terrified' implicit imaginable of 4th state presumption successful the town:

Ceretti said helium doesn't cognize whether helium would entreaty the decision if it doesn't spell his way, adding, "I'm not determination yet." 

IRAC's determination could inactive beryllium weeks away. 

"It's not going to beryllium an overnight decision," Ceretti said.

"Of course we would similar that, but that's not the case. You know, the quicker the better."