North Shore store could go out of business due to service issues

Service problems for county store A county store on the North Shore may close due to phone and internet service issues in the N.S. community. CTV's Dan MacIntosh has more.

For most Atlantic Canadians, Friday’s telephone and internet disruption is over but, not for a county store owner who says his business on Nova Scotia’s North Shore may need to close.

Store owner, Peter McCathie says he could go out of business because of ongoing problems with phone and internet services in his rural community.

“Every time it rained, every time it stopped, not even just rain, if it got damp outside, if it was foggy, the Interac would go down, all our computer services would go down. We couldn't fax, we couldn't phone,” says McCathie.

The Amherst Shore County store is a popular spot for residents and tourists along the Sunrise Trail. It's the only store with gas pumps and alcohol sales within 30 kilometres of the trail.

McCathie says he started having major problems with the store’s debit machines, phones and faxes in June.

He says technicians told him his internet service issues are being caused by the 40 year-old phone lines in the community.

“If we can't find some way to get our Interac machines and everything working, it's going to just cost us too much money to stay open,” McCathie says. “You can't do business without that type of service now.”

McCathie says he has lost thousands of dollars because the vast majority of his customers use debit or credit cards to make purchases.

“One time I bought fireworks here for almost three hundred dollars, and I wouldn't have had that kind of money on me, so,” says customer, Dave Henry.

Customer, Sara Ehrhardt says she only uses cash for smaller purchases.

“If I’m just, say, buying cinnamon buns, maybe I do cash but we buy quite a bit at this store so every time I come, I try to use a credit card or Interac,” she says.

Until a permanent solution can be found, McCathie is apologizing to customers and hoping for a short term fix.

“Everyone's praying for rain because we have a fire ban on here, and I’m just praying we don't get rain for a little while.”

McCathie says he's been told that Bell Aliant will continue to make repairs and adjustments to the line as needed.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh.