18 replies to this topic

[martini]

http://www.timescolo...9263/story.html

Victoria-based Columbia Fuels, the largest supplier of home heating oil on Vancouver Island and the first company in Canada to develop bio-diesel for residential and commercial use, has been sold to an Alberta company.

Columbia Fuels president Jim Smith confirmed late yesterday a deal had been struck with Parkland Income Fund of Red Deer.

The cash and stock deal is worth $34.5 million.

Parkland is one of Western Canada's largest operators in bulk fuels and heating oils and operates several retail and wholesale brands, including Fas Gas, Race Trac Fuels, Neufeld and United Petroleum.

Smith and partner Bruce Nagel acquired Columbia — the former Payless Gas home heating unit — in 1993 after Shell Canada took over Al Vandekerkhove's retail gas empire.

More: http://www.timescolo...9263/story.html

dkloster@tc.canwest.com
© Copyright © Canwest News Service

[think local]

I wonder what changes we should expect to see?

[spanky123]

I buddy of mine works there and says that 20 people were just let go.

[G-Man]

^ Sorry to hear that. That is a huge number of jobs in the region.

[spanky123]

Hmm. Not that I follow Columbia that closely but if 65 people just lots their jobs I would have thought that something would have been in the paper.

[LJ]

***

So you worked for Columbia for 16 years and now you're fired when Parkland took over, and Columbia is the bad company?

[spanky123]

Spoke to my buddy at Columbia and he says that this is not true. There were no mass layoffs recently.

Sounds like a disgruntled employee looking to stir things up. Saying that people have been let go is one thing, saying that their inspectors and staff are crooked is another.

Mods should remove these comments in my opinion.

[G-Man]

Not sure what would be best in this instance. I will check in with the admins.

[concorde]

I agree, he sounds like an angry employee looking to get even with his former employer.

One of the companies I owns deals with Columbia thru their commerical cardlock and I must say, they are a very professional business and well organized

[gulfman]

you ppl have not idea what goes on behind closed doors at parkland, sadly your mistaken, with your info, i know of 15 former friends who were let go, because there reorganizing the whole outfit, eventually there won't be a columbia anymore, thank god, payless was a more structured well organized company who took pride in everything they did for there community's, head out to the vic gen one day and look in the front doors on the wall of rec, you'll find plaques with hundreds of payless gas awards, but no columbia, or very few, vanderkerkove was a superior man of the we value the island, you betcha, amen on that note, too bad most victorian's are sensless no minds, living in a dream world of no return, now columbia has destroyed the goldstream, ive been down there myself and i must say what a great job parkland did of killing everything, i must have counted buckets full of dead coho and chum and trout and cray fish just sitting there with the fisheries officers, everyone there simply discusted with that drunk driver, i understand he blew 3 times over the legal limit, very sad, now my childrens children will never get to see the next salmon run in nov, sadly ****ers

[spanky123]

Gulfman,

What does Columbia Fuels have to do with Payless? You make it sound like the two companies are related. Sorry you lost your job but it happens with consolidation.

Sounds to me like Parkland is trying to do the right thing by compensating people who were out of pocket during the shutdown and paying the cleanup expenses. Accidents happen but at least Parkland has the $$$ to cover the bills, Columbia would have been in over their heads.

[Sparky]

too bad most victorian's are sensless no minds, living in a dream world of no return

You lost my respect at this point.

[Phil McAvity]

^it's so ironic too that someone who can barely write a cohesive sentence let alone paragraph, while claming we Victorians are "sensless no minds".

[gulfman]

REMOVED as non-nonsensical ramblings. - VHF

[sebberry]

and another columbia is or was a part of a organized criminal group

Aren't all oil companies essentially organized criminal groups?

[spanky123]

Payless didn't sell to Columbia Fuels. It sold to Shell if I recall.

[Bambam]

ex-Columbia Fuels for many years now a wholly owned subsidiary of Parkland Corp of Calgary, apparently will soon have yet another corporate overload. Global talking today about US-based Sononco on the cusp of offering to buy Parkland for $9.1 billion USD and change and stock. 

 

The deal between Parkland and Sunoco announced today requires shareholder and regulatory approval and also has to be cleared under the Investment Canada Act; there is a court fight potentially brewing between Parkland and its largest shareholder, Cayman Islands-based Simpson Oil, which owns just under 20 per cent of Parkland's shares. Just for fun admittedly I have a vested interest in the outcome - not quite at the level of Simpson Oil! - but I do hold Parkland stock. 

 

Given the current political situation and all the blather about the 51st state et al this is quite an interesting and strategic move if approved. Sunoco has pledged to keep Parklands HQ in Calgary as well as the Parkland refinery in Burnaby. Longer term? We shall see.

[Mike K.]

Curiously, this happens just hours after the Canadian election wraps up, as the Canadian government and multiple provinces continue to call the United States a threat to Canada.

[lanforod]

It might get scrapped by the government if they think it’ll buy them more support.