After being closed for a long time, Busy Beaver fuels in Rainy River has finally reopened meaning Rainy River residents can get gas on the Canadian side of the border now.
It has been a long process but Haley and Kevin Broadbent are the new owners of the only gas station in Rainy River. The store and gas station closed in February of 2023 after running on minimal hours for about a year.
Haley says it was Kevin’s idea to purchase the gas station and the process took about 18 months with the doors reopening on Aug. 6.
“He’s worked as a gas station attendant most of his life and he always wanted to own a store, you know, the dreams of clerks,” Haley said. “The opportunity presented itself so he put in an offer and wrote a business plan and tried to make it happen and it went fairly well.”
Haley says the reaction from Rainy River locals has been very positive.
“Everyone is super excited,” she said. “We’ve had people just thanking us for being open. Excited that they can get gas in town, they don’t have to cross [the border] any more. We actually ran out of gas twice this month and we’ve only been open for three weeks.”
Beyond fuel they’re also carrying typical convenience store fare like chips, drinks and other snacks. For the local anglers they have fishing tackle and ice. They also have automotive needs like oil, windshield wash and other necessities.
The laundromat is also back up and running for those needing to wash their clothes.
They are also serving pizza which can be ordered for pick up by phone or by text. The menu is available on the Busy Beaver Fuels Facebook page.
In the future Haley says they hope to add an arcade and a full kitchen for more options.
They also are looking for local artisans to sell their work on a consignment basis. They already have some in store. They’re also stocking local freeze dried candy from The Candy Barn and they have hoodies and t-shirts from Backroad Boundary.
On Saturday Aug. 31 they held their grand opening.
To contact Busy Beaver Fuels call 519-639-1559 or via their Facebook page which also has other contact information.
