Bookstore proves it could be ‘tops’ in Canada forever

Ted Barris, centre, with friends at Blue Heron Books on Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. Photo by John Cavers

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Bookworms of all sorts descended on Blue Heron Books on Brock Street West on Saturday to browse and mingle with the 34 authors who were on hand for Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. Among the authors on hand were local writers such as Ted Barris, Lucy Black, Daryl Sneath and Joe Lyons-Rising. Lucy Maud Montgomery's granddaughter, author Kate MacDonald, was also on hand.

Owner Shelley Macbeth said she had to contact all the authors herself to invite them to the store and started work on the event back in January. She said the whole point of the day "is for authors and the public to think book stores."

Macbeth has been with Blue Heron Books for 21 years, 20 of them as owner. Before that, she was the store's bookkeeper for a year. The store itself, started originally by Barb Pratt, is 36 years old.

The store was twice selected as Canada's top independent book store and received the Libris Award. Macbeth, noting that the Libris Award was discontinued after her second win, joked that her store is now the best in Canada "in perpetuity." However, she said she is working to bring the award back.

Macbeth is already planning this year’s Book Drunkard Festival. Among the celebrities she hopes to bring to town are Juno-award winner Colin James, chef-author Mary Berg, authors Emily St. John Mandel and Carol Off "and possibly Peter Mansbridge."

In addition, Macbeth has been running a letter-writing program since January. Her idea is to have people pledge to write a letter (with pen and paper, not email) every Sunday, whether to a family member, friend, pen pal or even themselves. She said she has a list of people who are looking for pen pals if anyone is interested.