100% Unnatural Circle K

@ Irving Oil's Blue Canoe

Great timeing for this.... as I google for a blue canoe photo this was in the news:

Irving Oil, Little Sue Rebrand
June 27, 2009

BANGOR, Maine -- Customers frequenting Irving Oil's Blue Canoe, Mainway and Big Stop convenience stores were in for surprise yesterday when the brand was officially changed to Circle K overnight.

It was no small task as 124 stores located across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont required transformation. The remaining 128 stores are located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and Labrador, however, rebranding has not be completed.

Leading up to the overnight overhaul, Irving Oil spokesperson Lars Trodson told the Bangor Daily News gas pumps were wrapped in the yellow tape as if to indicate a crime scene. "At least it got people's attention," he said.

While Trodson told the paper that 97 percent of the companies approximate 2,000 employees kept their jobs, the transition will take some getting used to. "Good afternoon, Main Street Circle K," an employee told a Bangor News Paper reporter Wednesday morning with slight hesitation. Lars said Irving would not release information about the 3 percent of employees that would not continue on.

Irving Oil has signed a 20-year agreement with Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. to sell Irving Oil gasoline. http://www.csnews.com/csn/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003829117

"Irving Oil Ltd. is shifting the operation of its convenience stores to Alimentation Couche-Tard. The fuel pumps and canopies at the sites will remain Irving-branded and the stores will be operated under Couche-Tard’s red, white and blue signage. Its logo is a red, winking owl. " http://fanset8.blogspot.com/2008/05/irving-couche-tard-strike-deal.html