End of an era for the Husky brand in Canada
In August 2026, the sale of Husky and Cenovus travel centres to BVD Petroleum Inc. was finalized following regulatory clearance from Canada’s Competition Bureau. This 18-month divestment concludes the Husky brand's long-standing presence in the retail market, signalling a significant transition as former Husky and Cenovus locations rebrand under BVD Petroleum.
This strategic divestment reshapes the Canadian retail fuel landscape, with Calgary-based Cenovus Energy Inc. now pivoting its focus toward its core upstream and refining operations, as detailed in its recent record-breaking quarterly financial reports. On July 29, Cenovus reported record Q2 2026 results with $17.43 billion in sales, up from $12.32 billion in the same period last year. It also reported Q2 net income of $2.87 billion, up from $851 million a year earlier.
In early July, Canada’s Competition Bureau announced it had entered into an agreement with BVD Petroleum, resolving concerns it had over an announced acquisition of some fuelling assets from Cenovus Energy Inc. and Husky Canadian Petroleum Marketing Partnership.
READ: Competition Bureau clears BVD-Cenovus deal with fuel station sale
BVD operates Petro-Canada and Petro-Pass branded fuelling stations and Cenovus operates Esso branded stations.
According to a press release, the Competition Bureau found the “transaction would likely reduce competition between a Petro-Canada and an Esso gas station. These stations are located near one another along the Queen Elizabeth Way near the community of Glendale, between St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, Ontario.”
Under the resolution, BVD agreed to sell its Petro-Canada gas station and Petro-Pass cardlock facility to a buyer approved by the Commissioner of Competition.
BVD operates 89 locations across six provinces: 31 in Ontario, 28 in Alberta, 14 in British Columbia, eight in Manitoba, six in Saskatchewan and two in New Brunswick.
With the Competition Bureau's concerns addressed, work is underway to transition former Husky travel centres to BVD operations.
“After many years of serving Canada’s professional driving and commercial fuel customers, Husky/Cenovus Travel Centres are transitioning to BVD Petroleum,” the Husky / Cenovus Commercial Fuels & Operations Team said in a release on its website.
According to the release, all Husky and Cenovus locations will no longer operate under the Esso brand, and the Cenovus Key to the Highway program will end. Key to the Highway cards will no longer be accepted after the transition date.
“Today marks the close of a significant chapter as we complete the sale of our corporate retail and cardlock network, along with our Esso-branded dealer network, to BVD,” Paul Meyer, manager of dealer sales and network operations at Cenovus, wrote on LinkedIn.
“I am immensely proud of the entire team for the professionalism, dedication, and integrity they demonstrated throughout the sale process over the past 18 months. Their commitment never wavered. While our office and support teams will not be transitioning with the business, I want to extend my sincere best wishes to all of our site retailers for continued success under new ownership.”
According to a LinkedIn post from Miller Supply Ltd., an Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil distributor for southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan: “To support this transition, Miller Supply will be issuing new BVD Petroleum cards to replace the current Key to the Highway cards prior to Aug. 1, 2026. While you will notice updated signage and branding at participating cardlock locations, there will be no changes to the way you do business with Miller Supply.”
The transition is underway nationwide. The Meridian Source reported that the Lloydminster Husky Travel Centre on Highway 16 has rebranded under BVD Petroleum, while Regina radio station 620 CKRM reported a similar local transition.
- Husky brand timeline
- 1938: Husky Oil is founded in Cody, Wyoming, and expands into Canada, establishing its Canadian operations with a refinery in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan/Alberta.
- 1980s–1990s: Husky expands its retail, commercial and travel centre network across Western Canada and Ontario, establishing the iconic Husky House restaurants and Key to the Highway cardlock fuel program.
- 2000: Husky acquires the Canadian retail assets of Mohawk Oil, significantly expanding its market presence and retail station footprint in Western Canada.
- 2019: Husky Energy divests its Prince George, B.C., refinery to Tidewater Midstream & Infrastructure, impacting direct price-controlled retail locations, while maintaining branded operations.
- January 2021: Cenovus Energy Inc. completes its acquisition of Husky Energy Inc. in an all-stock transaction, forming the Husky Canadian Petroleum Marketing Partnership. Later that year, Cenovus announces it is selling 337 Husky gas stations to Federated Co-operatives Ltd and Parkland (now Sunocu) for a total of $420 million.
- July 2026: Canada’s Competition Bureau reaches an agreement with BVD Petroleum Inc., clearing the regulatory hurdles for BVD’s acquisition of the retail and cardlock assets from Cenovus/Husky.
- August 2026: Official nationwide transition as Husky and Cenovus Travel Centres rebrand to BVD Petroleum, phase out Esso branding and discontinue the Key to the Highway program.
