// UXBRIDGE LIVING //
Blue Heron Books
A Passion for Books That Goes Beyond Four Walls BY LESLEY WILKINS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BLUE HERON
For booklovers and casual shoppers alike, walking in to Blue Heron Books in the heart of historic downtown Uxbridge is like falling into a warm and comforting embrace.
The Handmade Market is held at Blue Heron each holiday season, allowing locals to shop beautiful handcrafted gifts created by local artists.
W
ith its comfy leather chairs and creaky wooden floors, the relaxed traditional vibe could lure you into believing you had stepped back into a time before the emotionally draining days of covid lockdowns and online retail therapy.
You won’t encounter any high-pressure sales tactics here. The carefully curated selection of books is beautifully arranged on handcrafted shelves that span the length of the store, quietly inviting visitors to take their time and browse. While happy to give visitors the freedom to explore the store at their own pace, Blue Heron’s staff are always on-hand to answer questions, or suggest a great read if leisurely perusing the shelves isn’t on your schedule. Blue Heron Books offers visitors a relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
84
But if charming ambiance and outstanding selection are the cornerstone of this booklover’s paradise how did Blue Heron Books manage to ride the storm of covid shutdowns that kept devoted customers shut outside in the cold? The secret may just be the boundless resourcefulness, creativity and sheer bull-headed determination of owner Shelley Macbeth and her team of dedicated staff. When lockdown meant closing Blue Heron’s doors, Macbeth dug her heels in, rallied her team and got to work wrapping, mailing and driving books from one corner of the township to the other as online sales flooded in. Even Uxbridge’s Mayor, Dave Barton, signed up as part of the team, dropping off deliveries across the area.
WWW.CHESTNUTPARK .COM // CHESTNUT PARK RE AL ESTATE LIMITED, BROKERAGE // WWW.INVESTINST YLE.CA
