If there’s one bit of news that never fails to put a pep in our step it’s that a new independent bookstore is opening. This July, Kelowna will be the home to Once Upon a Bookstore, a kid book-focused, real-life brick-and-mortar bookstore. It’s like a fairy tale come true – especially in an age when online book sales tend to dominate the market, making it more difficult for independent bookstores to stay afloat. A new independent bookstore is exciting news for the Kelowna community and book-lovers everywhere.
Owned by Melissa Bourdon-King, previously of Mable’s Fables in Toronto and BookManager, Once Upon a Bookstore is Melissa’s return to children’s book sales in her adopted home of Kelowna. We wanted the low down on what it’s like to open a bookstore and what the community can expect this summer.
What is the story behind Once Upon a Bookstore? What inspired you to open a new bookstore in Kelowna?
From 2003–2015, I worked for Mabel’s Fables Children’s Bookstore, and so I knew how much I loved kids books and bookselling from that amazing job. However, it was also the only job I had ever had, and so in 2015, I took a job offer at Bookmanager that required moving across the country, pushing myself to expand my horizons, and try something new and different.
Once Upon a Bookstore has probably been percolating in my unconscious mind for many years, and late in 2017, I decided I would attend the Paz and Associates Bookstore Bootcamp to see if I was actually interested in the reality of the work it took to open a store. Attending that week of education was a revelation! While I was there I came up with the idea for a name, a logo, and felt surrounded by ‘my tribe’; people who were as passionate about books as I was. After that conference, I knew I needed to begin starting the steps to open the store.
I have a daughter who is in grade 4, and I am on the Parent Advisory Committee at her school. Over the course of volunteering there, I learned about how quickly Kelowna is growing. The school board in the region is at 104% capacity, and looking to build several more schools to keep up with the population increase. I also discovered how rich the community of young readers is and how schools are always searching for authors to come to the region. So it was the knowledge of the growing city, combined with my passion and expertise in kids books, and my connections from my time at Mabel’s Fables that really inspired me to go for it.
How did your experience at Bookmanager help in launching Once Upon a Bookstore?
Before this new project, I was working for Bookmanager, a company that many in the industry know well for its software and data services for booksellers and publishers. Before that I worked as a bookseller, then inventory manager, then general manager, all at Mabel’s Fables Bookstore in Toronto.
My time at Bookmanager gave me a really interesting window into the book industry as a whole—the challenges it faces on a grand scale, and the day-to-day issues that bookstores/booksellers needed help with. I learned a lot about the book industry in the US, and I learned a lot about the challenges of keeping up with an
Your first newsletter hints at some exciting projects underway before the opening of the bookstore. Can you give us an exclusive sneak-peek about what we can expect?
I have so many ideas that I am so excited to bring to Kelowna – from school
What kind of a selection can the community expect to find at Once Upon a Bookstore? Locally published books?
Once Upon a Bookstore’s focus will primarily be on children’s books (baby to young adult) with a small adult section, and parenting and cooking titles featured. It is my intention to carry a wide and deep selection of Canadian books, both published by Canadian imprints, and/or written by Canadian authors and illustrators. I am huge YA enthusiast, so that section will be strong, but I also have a voracious nine-year-old, so her many favourites will be sprinkled throughout the store. I am fortunate to have a one-year-old nephew, so he will be a wonderful resource for testing new books for babies and toddlers.
When content appropriate, I will be happy to feature locally published titles, and I would love to have community picks featured from time to time as well. A customer favourites table is always fun.
Although newly published books will always be coming into the store, it is my intention to carry lots of strong backlist titles as well, so that my customers can find always find their old favourites.
What place do you think independent bookstores have in the community?
I think a good independent bookstore is the beating heart of a community – it reflects the interests, passions, and needs of its customers. It pushes boundaries and opens doors to new experiences for readers and shoppers. Service is the number one priority for Once Upon a Bookstore and I look forward to learning from my community and growing based upon what I’ve learned.
Melissa Bourdon-King will be opening Once Upon a Bookstore in the heart of Kelowna’s Pandosy Village in July of 2019. The lease is signed, the concept complete, and construction on this beautiful space aimed to connect Okanagan families to literature and community is underway.
You can help Melissa bring stories to the shelves this summer through her IndieGoGo campaign.
Bookstore illustration by Kevin Sylvester, provided by Melissa Bourdon-King.
2 replies on “A fairy tale come true: Once Upon A Bookstore to open in Kelowna”
Thoroughly enjoyed my two visits to your delightful store. Happy to see the arts and crafts offerings as well. Will mention your store to friends and famiy. Very helpful people serving the neighbourhood. I’ll be back.
Daryn Wright, thank you for your blog post.Really thank you! Awesome.