There’s a new store in Barriere - the Gift ‘N Gab Trading Post. It is located in the log building at the north end of Barriere Town Road, right on the corner of the Yellowhead Highway.
Gift ‘N Gab owners, Kathie and John Heard, say they came to Barriere in July of last year from Alberta, whwre they had lived for many years raising their family. Once the kids were out and on their own, the Heards say decided it was time for a change. The couple say they had travelled through the North Thompson Valley several times on commutes between Vancouver and Alberta, and they liked the valley very much.
After looking at Clearwater and Barriere, they decided on Barriere as it was closer to Kamloops.
This will be their first venture as store owners. “My husband really helped a lot to get things going,” Kathie said, “He’s been my decorator.”
The new store offers a wide array of Aboriginal arts and crafts, gift and novelty items, from moccasins to carvings, jewelry, and also salmon products. They are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Wednesday to Monday (closed Tuesday), Kathie says they may eventually adjust the hours of operation as they get used to the traffic flow.
“I was nervous about moving to such a small town,” explained Kathie, “I’m used to the big cities. So far though everyone has been very nice. I love it here.”