Anwar Kamaran, owner of the Walsh Save On Gas station, is selling gas for 48.9 cents a litre.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Walsh has put this corner of the province on the map by selling gas at the pumps for less than anywhere else in Alberta.
You can fill your gas tank at Walsh Save On Gas for 48.9 cents a litre.
The owner, Anwar Kamaran, sums up why he decided to sell his gas currently at a loss.
“Because we are very Canadian,” said Kamaran. “We always like to show the best side instead of the worst side.”
Kamaran says there has been a tremendous response from people travelling on the highway and many from Medicine Hat have also been making the drive to Walsh to fill up their tanks and thank him.
He says a woman from Maple Creek has been driving everyday into Medicine Hat for medical treatment and the cost of gas has been almost crippling. Finally she can save some money by stopping for gas in Walsh. Kamaran says if it had not been for COVID-19 and social-distancing requirements she wanted to give him a hug to say thank you.
He says he feels good about being able to save this person about $10 a day and $300 a month to help her through a difficult time.
Kamaran says he is aware of how many people are hurting as a result of losing their jobs because of the impact of COVID-19, or they have had their hours reduced and people are struggling financially.
He says that he is selling up to $6,000 a day in gas and there are some days when he is losing money in the region of $2,000 a day with gas at this price.
The store attached to the gas station sells others products and he is grateful when people buy those but says there is no obligation to buy anything other than the gas.
“I want to be a role model. People appreciate it,” said Kamaran who was the Liberal Party candidate for the Cypress-Medicine Hat constituency in the 2019 provincial election.
He has owned the Walsh Save On Gas for about 18 months and says his wife is also helping by cleaning the washroom each time it is used because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
