February 2020 Meet Gabriella Boudreau, Manager of Bayside Gas & Convenience
by Richard Perry
Gabriella ‘Gabby’ Boudreau says she’s ready. And excited.
After 23 years in the retail sector, this East Tracadie resident is now training to lead gas and convenience operations at the new Bayside Travel Centre, Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation. (Exit 36-B on the Trans-Canada Highway)
“Friends are coming up to me already and asking about what it looks like,” she says. “I tell them you won’t believe it until you see it. It’s amazing.”
On a recent visit, Boudreau pointed out the location of the computers that will monitor the diesel cardlock pumps. Then she was off to a meeting with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, which will soon be setting up lottery terminals in the entertainment centre.
“I’ve always been really interested in Information Technology, so this operation has everything. I can hardly wait.”
“Gabby has the retail experience we need for such a leadership role,” says Rose Paul, CEO of the Bayside Development Corporation. “Her enthusiasm is contagious, and her knowledge of retail will help us get the travel centre up and running on a solid foundation.”
Boudreau has worked with the Sobeys group since 1997, including responsibility for customer service, as a front-end cashier and more recently as head supervisor of technicians for Lawton’s, the Sobey-owned drug store in the Antigonish mall.
In her downtime, this mother of three loves to play sports and watch her daughter compete in barrel racing.
The 16,000 square-foot Bayside Travel Centre will include a convenience store, NSLC outlet, VLT entertainment centre, tourism information centre, two quick-service restaurants, diesel and retail fuel islands, a dedicated truckers’ lounge with showers and washrooms, a food court and free high-speed Wi-Fi service. It is scheduled to open this spring.
Boudreau and assistant manager Jehan Mustafa are off to Alberta this weekend for extensive training with Husky Energy. They will become familiar with fuel inventory control, payment card industry compliance, occupational health and safety requirements, financial due diligence and staff management.
Paul will also attend executive meetings at Husky’s head office in Calgary.
Media contact:
Richard Perry
Tel: (902) 870-9662
Email: richard.perry@paqtnkek.ca