Heritage Hills and Heartland residents might soon not need to get in their cars to pick up some staple grocery items. Mark Jeffels, who has been a Heartland resident since the community's first 10 houses went up, is in the process of starting a new mom-and-pop-style convenience store in the plaza in Heritage Hills on the corner of Horse Creek Road and Highway 1A. "There's always been the gym, liquor store and Freshii," Jeffels said, but no place to pick up grocery items. "If I need to get anything I needed to hop in the vehicle and drive 15 minutes to get something. It's just been insane to get anywhere on the weekends because if anything at all happens on one, everyone comes down 1A. If I want to walk anywhere it's super dangerous," he said, noting there's also the railway tracks in the way. Jeffels said he is currently discussing lease options to take over the old Freshii store in the plaza and he's in the works of securing financing to get the shop running. The community has been very supportive so far, he said. "I've gotten probably 60 emails at least," Jeffels said adding that a woman living in heartland told Jeffels if he can secure a loan to obtain financing for renovations and open the store, she would be willing to be a business partner. He also said he is undeterred by the minimum wage hike which was implemented on Monday. Jeffels currently runs a sharpening business from his home, which he hopes to combine with his convenience store business. "I thought there are enough people in both neighbourhoods to support it and there's a lot of traffic that would want to stop and get something," Jeffels said.
