A Tale of Two Book Stores by Jen Groundwater photos by Rae-Anne Guenther
In 1989
Barb and Tom Pope moved back to Canada after living for more than two decades in New Zealand. They visited family in pretty little Qualicum Beach, where they soon heard that the local book store, Mulberry Bush, was for sale. They put in an offer─and began putting down roots on the Island. Soon afterwards, they were visited by their first publishers’ reps, received their first quarterly microfiche (Microfiches! Remember those?!) advertising new book titles, and put in their first orders. So began a beautiful story of community and connection that continues to be written to this day. If Barb and Tom had foreseen the many challenges they would face as independent booksellers─including the rise of big-box bookstores, online rivals, and even a global pandemic, they might have bought a different kind of business─but, decades later, Barb reflects on the secret to their longevity, “Our customers are the reason that we’re here. We feel like we have a sacred trust with them.” The Popes opened a second store in Parksville in 1992, and both Mulberry Bush book stores have become beloved fixtures in their communities. For many years, they’ve been not just where you go to pick up your next beach read or thriller, they’ve been a gathering place. Book launches and author events happen in store, while the Popes and their staff take “sales-on-site” book displays to literary and festival events. Their Community Gifting Program helps support local organizations, they act as a ticket agent for various concerts and performances, and they have a frequent-buyer club for their die-hard bookworms. Though Barb and Tom’s two stores combined, occupy a physical space of just about 2,000 square feet, they offer access to over eight million titles on their online store. Which means that in a very real sense, walking into a Mulberry Bush bookstore is like opening a door into a universe of infinite possibilities. “Books take you everywhere you want to be,” Barb says. Each store has a slightly different ambiance. In Parksville, it’s cozy, with dark wood shelving and a children’s area with a castle façade. The Qualicum location is bright and airy, with a holidayesque feeling. But whichever store you visit, you’ll get a warm welcome from people who know and genuinely love books. Both stores stock plenty of new Canadian titles (Barb says, “We like to support
22 PASSIONS | FALL 2020
