Words Worth Books marks 40 years in Waterloo
Despite the digital wave, the pandemic and the supposed death of independent bookstores, Words Worth Books in Uptown Waterloo is celebrating 40 years.
“It’s pretty rare for an independent bookstore to reach that milestone,” said co-owner Mandy Brouse.
The cherished staple along King Street South was created in 1984, which co-owner David Worsley calls “surreal.”
The duo were long-time employees before taking over the business 13 years ago from original owners Tricia Siemens and Chuck Erion.
Brouse and Worsley maintained a loyal customer base. Along the way, they’ve bookmarked some pretty significant events that shaped the store’s identity.
“We had to move the bookstore over one door to our current location here within the first year of taking over ownership,” said Brouse.
That’s due to out-of-reach rent prices at the time for the size of the store they were in.
The current space is slightly smaller than the early beginnings but the quality never suffered, especially amidst a boom of E-books, which saw chains add other items to the shelves.
“We were going to die with books. We don’t know enough about selling olive oil and towels. And I have no idea what reading socks even are,” said Worsley.
Years later, the plot thickened outside the world of books, which saw several neighbouring businesses close. But the pair managed to keep turning the page.
“There’s proof that you do great work and you're selling something that the community needs and it works. They have gone through obviously the LRT construction transition and then the pandemic and they've done really well,” said Jeyas Balaskanthan, Uptown Waterloo BIA executive director.
Through it all, their love for physical books never wavered.
“You just start to tingle, that’s not going to go away,” said Worsley.
The store has organized numerous literary events, reading groups and community initiatives over the years. The owners are determined to keep the business going for many more years too.
To mark the anniversary, Words Worth Books will host a celebration at the store on Saturday at 1 p.m.
It will include guest appearances from local politicians and the founders of Words Worth Books.
There will also be a presentation of the Words Worthy Award, an accolade that recognizes the profound impact of a Canadian author on both the national literary landscape and the local community.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's why
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
As Hunter Biden's gun case starts jury selection, U.S. president says he has 'boundless love' for him
A federal gun case against U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter opened Monday with jury selection, following the collapse of a plea deal that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close the 2024 election. First lady Jill Biden was seated in the front row of the courtroom, in a show of support for her son.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.
Crews searching for 3 missing mountaineers near Squamish, B.C.
A search effort has been launched for a trio of mountain climbers who were reported overdue after not returning from their excursion near Squamish, B.C.
Katy Perry 'fixed' Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech
Katy Perry has reimagined a recent commencement speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker that was criticized as homophobic and sexist.
This Canadian scientist combines passion for history, archeology and genetics to solve ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles
Turi King takes pride in her work solving ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles – including a centuries-old mystery involving an infamous British king.
She is set to be Mexico's first female president. But who is Claudia Sheinbaum?
Known as “la Doctora” for her glittering academic credentials, Claudia Sheinbaum is a physicist with a doctorate in energy engineering and a former major-city mayor.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22-million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.