Independent Bookstores across the country are hosting promotional events on Saturday, October 15th in celebration of Independents’ Day. This is a major marketing drive championing the cultural and economic contributions made by long-established and new generation independent booksellers operating in many Canadian communities. Customer-focused, commercially-savvy and digitally-aware, independent booksellers are carving an invaluable niche for themselves in their local communities, despite trying economic times and increased competition.
Polar Peek Books is one among hundreds of independent bookstores to open its doors Saturday, October 15th to local authors, publishers, dignitaries and readers to celebrate Canadian Booksellers Association Independents’ Day. Activities run from 1- 4 pm and include an in store book sale, draws, prizes, cupcakes, childrens games and contests, as well as a book signing from local poet Adam McDonald.
Patty Reedyk, owner of the Polar Peek Books had this to say: “By celebrating Indepence Day with our community it’s a way for us to bring awareness to our customers of how important they are to us, and that their shopping here supports much more than just our store, but an important growing movement across Canada.”
Now in its sixth year, Independents’ Day provides a platform for bookstores across Canada to raise awareness of the issues that affect their businesses including:
• The importance of independent bookstores in promoting regional/local literature, works that might not be noticed by a chain store that buys for the entire country at once.
• The contribution independently owned businesses make to their local economy; money spent at one’s
local bookstore helps sustain the local economy and create local jobs. Also, Independents support
local causes (i.e. teams, schools, charities and arts organizations).
• The role independent bookstores play in creating a community that favours the arts and promotes economic success by encouraging innovators to stay there.
• The potential for major parts of Canada’s bookselling industry – a chief disseminator of Canadian culture – to fall to foreign ownership.
• Keeping the playing field level and making sure the federal government, in particular, is not favouring
one company over any others.
Polar Peek Books is a locally owned and operated independent bookstore since 1993 located in historic downtown Fernie, B.C. The store offers a great selection of local hiking and biking trail maps and guide books, local history books, and a large selection of local and Canadian authors. The store is also renowned for it’s selction of award winning children’s books and toys. www.polarpeekbooks.ca
Independents’ Day is an initiative of Canadian Booksellers Association (CBA) – a national trade association that represents close to 1,000 bookstores, including trade, campus, specialty chain, used and rare booksellers, in urban and rural communities.
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