A new convenience store on Westside Road is filling a void left by the White Rock Lake wildfire in 2021.
Six Mile Convenience Store had its first day of operation Saturday, March 4. Owner Erica Clark started the business venture with her husband, Dion Clark, and her brother, Dixon Louis.
The store shelves feature lots of snacks, grocery items and dairy products, and it鈥檚 also showcasing the works and products of local artists and entrepreneurs.
Erica said she decided to start the business after seeing the need in the community. In 2021, the White Rock Lake wildfire destroyed a community gem, the Little Kingdom Gas Station, leaving nowhere for locals to go for a carton of milk without making the long drive to Vernon.
鈥淚 actually live down the street and since Little Kingdom has been closed there just hasn鈥檛 been a lot of anything really, and I found when the store was here before it really brought the community together, and so having another place to do that is something I found really important,鈥� Erica said Saturday.
Already the store is looking to expand with more snack and grocery items in the coming weeks, and Erica said they might eventually look to add a gas station at the store.
On a shelf inside the store is a display of clothing by a local Aboriginal business called North Okanagan Apparel. Erica says local artists and entrepreneurs are invited to get in touch to have their products displayed, too.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to keep growing so as the weeks go on we will add more and more products to our shelves and just opening the door to any local Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal artist to get in touch and showcase what you got.鈥�
As for the store鈥檚 name, Erica says it鈥檚 one that locals will be familiar with.
鈥淭his area is referred to as Six Mile, so locals will know the significance of it. So it鈥檚 nice to tie it into the community,鈥� she said.
Erica says they鈥檝e gotten lots of positive feedback in their first day of operation, with locals glad they don鈥檛 have to drive into town to get what they need.
Located at 11307 Westside Road, the store is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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