Ellen Pickle, owner of Tidewater Books and Browsery in Sackville, celebrated her 30th anniversary as an independent bookseller on Saturday, September 27th.
CHMA caught up with Ellen earlier that week. In our conversation, she emphasized the enduring value of books and the importance of fostering a love of reading in children.
“I don’t think the book will ever go away. I think that people value the knowledge, they value the excitement, they value going to other worlds, creating new worlds, learning about their culture, and learning about other cultures. We need to get children to read at a young age, because then they develop that love of reading. I still don’t go anywhere without a book, and I’ve been that way since I was about three years old.”
Ellen opened her store in 1995, inspired by her passion for reading and the lack of local bookstores. She moved her business from its first location in 2010, where Ducky’s Bar is now, and bought the building at the current location across the street in 2017. Being her own landlord proved to be a prudent decision during COVID, when financial instability brought hard times to many renters. The New Brunswick First Procurement Policy to support local businesses, initiated in October of 2020, by the NB government, also helped boost her sales.
Tidewater Books and Browsery is the only independent new bookseller between Fredericton and Halifax. When Ellen talks about what it feels like to be celebrating thirty years in business she is full of gratitude.
“I think we couldn’t have done it without the community support, and we deeply appreciate it.”
For more information on what’s coming up at Tidewater, visit them on Facebook or their website at: tidewaterbooks.ca
