Stacey and Alan Leigh met on Bowen Island when they were 14 and 16 years old. One year later, they got married. Stacey says, "When we were teenagers, we read a book on how to be self-sufficient on five acres. That has been our dream." In the last 30 years, Stacey and Alan have raised a large family of children and foster children on Bowen. They've tended a garden and they've had bees and livestock. They also own and operate Bowen's gas station.
"We've had four gas stations on Bowen," Alan says. "I started pumping gas at the Chevron station in 1978." He laughs and adds, "I've got gasoline in my blood."
Alan and Stacey run the business together, Alan does the trucking and delivery and Stacey is involved in the operation and the bookkeeping.
Alan goes off island with the tanker three times a week. On Wednesdays, he goes twice a day. "In order to get on the 9 a.m. dangerous cargo sailing on Wednesday, I have to leave on the 5:30 a.m. ferry and get my gasoline." Normally, that gas gets pumped off before lunchtime into the gas station's tank and delivered to contractors who have their own storage systems. Then Alan goes back on the 4 p.m. dangerous cargo sailing "because an empty gas truck is regulated the same as a full one; it can't go back on a regular sailing." He then fills up with diesel and says, "Then the truck is gas-free and not restricted to dangerous cargo. I can come back on a 6:30 or 7:30 p.m. ferry. A Wednesday starts at 5 a.m. and finishes at 8 p.m."
Stacey adds that, in order to make that schedule (and they haven't missed it in many years) they can't go away for more than six days. "We are tied down by being self-employed and running that business. But it supports us. No matter what the season is, people are always buying fuel."
"It's one of the Bowen businesses that works. It is local and it pays the bills. But when we started it, we knew we wouldn't run it forever," Alan laughs and adds, "in the near future, the gas station is going up for sale. We feel it might be better suited for someone a little younger."
When the station in the cove closed, Chevron Canada gave the Leighs a tank and pump for free to supply the community "because they were bailing out," Alan recalls. "Then Petro Canada approached us and offered us the deal of selling gas independently. And Doug Berry suggested the land at Artisan Square."
The gas station operated at two different locations at Artisan Square for about six years. Stacey said, "Then Doug [Berry] wanted the land back for further development. We had known that this would happen."
There were plans to move the gas station to a lot at Carter Road but the process was lengthy and never came to fruition.
"In the meantime, Bowen wouldn't have had a gas station, so the municipality stepped in," Alan says, noting that it was a political change that set things in motion. "We had a new council and mayor Bob Turner said this needed to get solved." The municipality selected a site and put the operation of a gas station out to tender.
Alan laughed, "Ours was the only bid. We bid a dollar a year for 10 years." The municipality could only sign a contract for three years but Alan said that they had an understanding to work together for as long as possible.
"This is how Bowen started subsidizing the gas station," Alan said. "We don't have to pay a mortgage on the land. The reason we can make it work is because we basically pay wages and a small mortgage on the tanks."
But there are other considerations when it comes to the price of gas. "Stacey and I became an independent re-seller of gasoline," Alan says. "We didn't have any support from large fuel companies. And that was a big deal because it affects pricing." Stacey added, "We can't get the good prices that you get in the city because we are not branded as a big station."
This is part of the reason why the prices on Bowen are higher. "It costs about eight cents a litre more than at a self-serve station in town," Alan said. "I have no control over the price. I charge what it costs on the day when it is picked up. People have to understand that they are comparing huge companies to a little mom-and-pop operation that has no buying power." Staying independent is not only a choice but also a necessity. Stacey pointed out that big companies have no interest in running a small gas station "because it doesn't have the sales."
The trend is towards larger and larger companies, says Alan. "There are fewer and fewer people involved in the gas business. Where I load in Burnaby, I am the only independent one." To make small stations viable, they need to be subsidized, Alan says. Or, as is the case with the Leighs' business, there have to be other sources of income.
Alan said, "Our business has two parts to it. We pick up fuel and sell at bulk. We deliver to our own station but that's less than half of our fuel. The rest is delivered to bulk tanks on Bowen Island and probably 40 per cent of our business these days is on Gambier Island."
The Leighs hire a barge to deliver fuel to Gambier, Keats and Anvil Islands. Another part of the business is selling heating fuel. Alan is concerned about the high prices. "If the customers are contractors, they can put it on their bills. But our deliveries also go to seniors. Some have told us to stop filling the tank. They rather put on two sweaters, because they can't afford it any more."
Even though delivering fuel is their business, the Leighs will advise their customers on more efficient heating methods. "We not only sell fuel but we also service and install furnaces. We also do conversions. It is a complete business and works well with the gas station."
The Leighs enjoy their work and speak highly of their staff. Alan said, "We've had good employees and that's important. Sometimes I think that people come as much for the gas as for the interaction. Some of them come for $10 of gas and then the pull up twice a day."
He recalled one visitor who never brought any gas but came for a chat and a hug. And visitors have been known to drive into the gas station to have their photo taken.
Having been in business for all those years gives the Leighs a unique perspective. Alan said, "If you go right back in history, we know that in general Bowen Islanders bought more gas on Bowen in 1980 than they do now." Volumes have fluctuated over the years. "When we opened at Artisan Square, a lot of people thought we would run out of fuel, so they didn't try hard to support us," Alan said. "But even at that location, where we had less storage, we never ran out of fuel."
"We typically sell one tank truck week. But we store over two tank trucks. With the three different types of gasoline we have, we could easily run for two weeks."
In the summer time, when the gas station's volume increases, Alan does an extra fuel run with a barge to Snug Cove or another boat ramp. There has been some opposition to his landing at certain beaches but Alan says, "it is legal and we've been doing it for 30 years around Howe Sound."
If somebody runs out of gasoline, propane or dynamite, the substances restricted to the ferry's dangerous cargo run, bringing over a barge is the only option. But it isn't cheap. Alan said, "Instead of paying $80 dollars ferry fare, we hire a barge which is $800 for one vehicle. We have an expensive run every three to four weeks, which definitely adds to the cost." This applies only to the four or five busier months. "This year was our quietest year ever. We only barged three times instead of the eight that we should have done."
Alan recalled that sales at Artisan Square were steady. Then it closed and Bowen Island was without a gas station. After the Leighs opened at the Mt. Gardner location four years ago, sales were higher. "I think it was a combination of the new location and the awareness that a local business has to have the support of the community to be sustainable."
"We really appreciate our loyal customers on Bowen," Stacey says. "What I love most are the unique personalities. Because you know everybody and their little quirks, that makes people more accepting." She looks at Alan and he nods a confirmation. It will not be easy to find someone for the business. "When we sell it, it has to go to someone who knows the place and has Bowen's interest in mind. It's going to take some time." And although the couple has considered moving to a place where land is cheaper, they think that they might stay.
"Bowen is a big part of our lives. We love the community," says Alan.
