By Andrea Arnold
Residents of the Robson Valley once again have U-Haul rental services available locally.
Newcomer to the Valley, Conan Yu, has taken over the Valemount Recycling Centre and Car wash, and has added U-Haul Depot to the business profile.
Although Yu is new to this specific business, he is not new to operating a recycling or U-Haul depot.
“I ran a bottle depot for 10 years, and ran a U-Haul depot for two years,” he said.
Most recently, Yu owned and operated a Dollar store and a sushi restaurant in Kelowna.
When he heard that the facility in Valemount was available, he decided to make the change to smaller town living.
Aside from the additional service of U-Haul rental, Yu does not plan to make any changes for a year. He wants to see where or if changes need to be made to make the business more efficient.
Currently, Yu has dollies, blankets, trailers and trucks available to rent through U-Haul. At this time, he does not have a car-hauler, but will as soon as someone uses the location to drop one off. Also, currently he does not have moving boxes for sale.
Arrangements for rentals can be made either through the U-Haul website or in person with Yu.
Yu is adjusting to life in a small town and has been amazed at how fast news travels.
“Everyone knows everyone,” he said. “So many people have come to say hi. It is heartwarming. I have never had this kind of experience before.”
However, Yu also has already learned the downside of the small town rumor mill.
“I know that the town is small, and everyone talks to each other,” he said. “But I would like to welcome people to come speak directly to me if they have concerns or suggestions.”
Yu is not originally from Canada, and he admits that he does not understand some aspects of Canadian culture.
“I would like to prevent misunderstandings through better communication,” he said.
The Valemount Recycling Centre and Car wash is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm, and can be reached at 778-581-2434.
