Photo courtesy of Pamela Haasen

There are two new businesses in Smithers and the Bulkley Valley that have come at just the right time.

In January of this year, Smithers' only taxi service closed due to lack of drivers and the high demand for the service which lead to a burn out on the owners. A new taxi service is opening this month (August) and it's coming just in time when more restaurants and bars are open and the weather is gorgeous.

Paddy Hirshfield and Patrick Hibbitts are the general managers of BV Taxi and Transportation, which service from Prince George to Prince Rupert.

Also in the news, a zero-waste shop opened in Smithers with warm reception. With a little trepidation, Emilie Schmidt, owner of Rejar Zero Waste, said she was a little nervous and felt that "the world was against her" when her business plans were well underway to open and then the pandemic hit.

How could she justify opening a business where you bring your own jars and containers when the world is concerned with sanitization, close spaces and sharing? With a few tweaks, Rejar Zero Waste opened with a boom. Rejar can be found in the alley behind Main Street in between Second and Third Ave in Smithers, BC.