2025 Impact Awards Winner: The Store at Cooper Creek

For Alexandra Skelton and her husband, Michael, purchasing the Lardeau Valley service station in April 2022 represented an opportunity to help the remote community in Meadow Creek, B.C. 

Under their ownership, they have turned the service station into a hub for everyone. It has become a popular meeting spot with a specialty coffee shop, an expanded lineup of products and sales of automotive parts. 

Last year’s devastating wildfire caused emergency evacuations and an influx of emergency personnel. 

The Skeltons, as the only retail sellers of diesel, provided emergency fuel and supplies for evacuees and firefighters for the duration of the crisis. 

The two-person operation made themselves available 24 hours a day to help. Their business, just one of two stores in the area, is crucial to the survival of those who live there. 

From offering a welcome place for friendly conversation to providing essentials like propane and groceries, The Store at Cooper Creek highlights the crucial role a local retailer plays in supporting the well-being of its neighbourhoods and visitors. 

“We feel humbled and very grateful to be able to provide a necessary service to our community and first responders in a difficult time,” says the couple. “Our community is our lifeblood, and we appreciate all our patrons.”