Vehicles lined up outside the Holden Shell gas station on Christina Street in Sarnia Thursday morning.
For 70 minutes, Shell gave away 70 litres of gas, per vehicle starting at about 7:45 a.m.
Corporate Relations Advisor Olwen Gover said it's a way to say thank you for allowing the company to be a part of the community and supporting them for 70 years.
"Shell has done that in various locations prior as a thank you and give backs to the community," said Gover. "It's a really fun event and we are really very stoked to do it."
Gover said the company is also committing at least 70 acts of kindness in the community to mark the milestone, including sponsoring public swimming Saturday morning's at Tecumseh pool.
The refinery, originally Canadian Oil, opened on September 25, 1952 and was purchased by Shell ten years later.
Gover said there have been a lot of changes at the refinery over the last 70 years, as evident in photos at the Oil Heritage Museum.
"You see gentlemen in suits and ties out in the field turning valves," she said. "Obviously our understanding of safety has progressed quite a bit in those 70 years. We now have fire retardant clothing and lots of safety precautions in place to protect our workers."
The company also plans to hold a community open house in September to mark the anniversary. Details about the event are expected in the coming weeks.
