Convenience store shutting doors for good next week

Justyne Edgell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After 24 years on lower Brock Street, the Circle K convenience store will close its doors next Tuesday, June 18.

“It’s a mix of emotions," says store owner, Shah Golan. “We’ve nurtured the store for 24 years, and it feels like raising a child, especially since we raised our children there. The store has been a part of our family, and it's hard to say goodbye.”

The busy convenience store is closing because in 2019, before commencement of the Brock Street culvert project, the township purchased the Coffee Time, Circle K building as part of the Downtown Revitalization Plan, and to accommodate work on the culvert. The land where the store currently stands is slated to become a new town square part of the Downtown Revitalization plan.

As one of the only 24-hour convenience stores in Uxbridge, Golan notes that it’s tough to think about the families who relied on his business during irregular hours.

“We’ve offered our services for holidays, emergencies and even the late-night munchies. It deeply saddens us to think about the parts of the community that have relied on us and don’t have the same accessibility as others.”

In a Facebook post earlier this week, Mayor Dave Barton noted that the lease for Circle K was expiring and to proceed with the township’s vision, they decided not to renew.

“We had planned to retire with this store when the time came, but unfortunately, that time was cut short,” says Golan.

But overall, the piece that holds the most importance for Golan, has been creating the customer connections.

“Strangers who became regular customers gradually became some of our closest and dearest friends,” says Golan. “These connections are not just fleeting, they are endless and irreplaceable, and friendships that we will continue to hold dear.”

And like many local business owners, Golan notes that Uxbridge has always been a very strong community. “People from different walks of life can connect; it feels like one big family.”

“We spent the past two decades working alongside other local businesses to help better the lives of those inside the township, and we’re grateful to all of the people who have been loyal to us.”