35 Years and Counting

Located at 445 King Street in downtown Fredericton, Westminster Books is about to celebrate its 35^th anniversary as Atlantic Canada’s oldest independent bookstore. Owner/Manager Janet North, who has been with the store since it opened in 1975, is justifiably proud of the 38,000 square foot space, crammed with over 12,000 titles, personally selected from catalogues and book fairs along with children’s book buyer, Noreen McGinn. Since North owns Westminster Books, she doesn’t have to deal with a head office making choices for the store which fail to meet the interests of Fredericton readers. Independence allows her to focus on quality and personal service.

 

The store is also known for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, a place for book lovers to talk with staff, all avid readers, and meet other book lovers. “When I was studying sociology at St. Thomas University and working here part-time, I knew this was where I wanted to work after graduation,” says Gloria Nickerson, Marketing Coordinator since 2005. “It has such a nice atmosphere and highlights the character of Fredericton. The people I meet here are fantastic.”

 

Among them are authors invited to launch their books at Westminster. Wayne Curtis speaks warmly of his launch in 2009 for Night Train to Havana (Lion’s Head Press), for which North sent invitations and served refreshments. “I buy all my books there,” Curtis says, “and if they don’t have what I want, they order it for me, including Latin American writers in translation. They know I like Garcia Marquez and Cormack McCarthy and when a new book by one of them comes in, they call me.” Now Curtis is looking forward to his next launch at Westminster, when Long Ago and Far Away (Pottersfield) is released later this year.

 

Beth Powning, whose latest novel, The Sea Captain’s Wife (Knopf), was launched there in early 2010, notes, “Janet North goes the extra mile to make events special and has provided a warm, celebratory atmosphere for many of my readings. She not only made a beautiful display with books and shells, but provided a table of delicious food.” When Nova Scotia author Carol Lesbirel entitled her motivational book, Who Says You Can’t, she wasn’t writing about Westminster Books, but she could have been. It has flourished when many independents have been squeezed out of business by the larger competition, as was the shop at 84 Charing Cross Road. But Frank Doel’s determined spirit is alive and well at Westminster, where staff continue to search hard-to-find titles. “I love a good search,” says Nickerson. “I get stubborn and I eventually hunt it down.”  

 

“I’ve always supported Westminster Books,” says Michael Nowlan, consultant, writer, philatelist and book reviewer for the Daily Gleaner, who has requested special orders over the years.  “They add a great deal to the area and to those of us who enjoy and appreciate books.”Grateful for public support over 35 years, North has found unique ways to give back to the community, including a long-established Book Club with benefits for shoppers and Adopt-A-Book program in which readers  purchase a book at discount and donate it  to the New Brunswick Public Library System. The official anniversary date, with cake and balloons, is set for October 16, but 35 years is too important a milestone to limit to one day, Nickerson says, resulting in many more launches events and readings throughout the year. As Powning says, “I wish this vibrant bookstore was in my own town. Lucky Fredericton!”