Wilno welcomes new Esso owners

WILNO – If you’ve stopped at the Esso gas station in Wilno, you may have noticed someone new at the pumps.

Clinton and Heather Roche recently took ownership of the station from previous owners Mary and Chris Lorbetskie. The husband and wife team are returning to the Madawaska Valley after years in Toronto.

Clinton grew up in Wilno, while Heather grew up in Barry’s Bay.

Following her post-secondary education in Toronto, Heather began working in insurance and financial planning.

“That’s what I’ll be doing when I move up here full time,” explained Heather. “Clinton’s kind of the ‘everything’ guy.”

Though his studies brought him to Toronto, focused on accounting, Clinton soon found himself rising through the ranks of the film industry, eventually attaining the position of art director. In addition to this, Clinton has been working as a real estate agent since 2012.

Though successful, he felt something was missing.

“I had an office without windows and thought to myself, what am I doing?”

As parents of two young children, Clinton and Heather had found themselves trying to get out to the stomping grounds of their youth to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“We always knew we were coming back,” explained Clinton. “It’s the quality of life we have, and it’s good for the kids.”

Get your October 15, 2014 edition of The Valley Gazette to read more of this story.