With the vast majority of its books being in English and in a multitude of genres, the variety of offerings at Black Cat Books often surprises the people who trickle in through the door. The independently-owned bookstore has been in operation on Queen street since 1998 and has become one of the only remaining English bookstores in the Townships.
“Business has been hanging by a thread for years. Anyone with business sense would have given up years ago,” said Janice LaDuke, owner and manager of the store. With the introduction of e-books and online retailers, small bookstores like Black Cat have faced many trials as interest in physical books has decreased in recent years. Yet a recent trend has demonstrated a change in peoples’ mindset. According to LaDuke, “people have become fed up with the “Big A” and other online stores as a lot of people have contacted me to order books through my store.” The increase in book orders brings a pleasant boom in business as members of both the English and French community have reached out to her for their specific orders.
Subscribe to The Record for the full story and more
