By Tim Collins

ThereB次元官网网址檚 a celebration planned at IvyB次元官网网址檚 Bookshop, the iconic neighbourhood bookstore located in the heart of Oak Bay.

The delightful shop has been providing an unique and varied selection of books for since 1964, and on Saturday, June 1, theyB次元官网网址檒l be celebrating with giveaways, cupcakes, a colouring contest for the kids and free book bags for the first 60 customers through the door.

ThereB次元官网网址檒l also be the chance to win bags of books and the staff will be giving away free mystery gifts with every book purchase.

That all sounds great, but it begs the question of what it is about IvyB次元官网网址檚 Bookshop that makes it so special?

In part, the enduring nature of the bookshop can be traced to the person who started it all, Ivy Mickelson.

A woman of electric tastes, Mickelson read C.S. Lewis, Henry Miller, E.B. White, Allan Watts, Thomas Merton, Krishnamurti, C.G. Jung and Herman Hesse. In short, she was a voracious reader and a lifelong book lover.

The breadth of her reading allowed for some heated discussions between Ivy and her customers B次元官网网址� discussions that motivated students, professors and others to flock back to the bookshop for another round of discourse.

That legacy was inherited by the bookshopB次元官网网址檚 current owner, Megan Scott, when she bought the store back in 2001, and itB次元官网网址檚 one that sheB次元官网网址檚 carried on through her own love of books and wide-ranging consumption of the written word.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 something magical about books. ItB次元官网网址檚 the possibility that behind every spine thereB次元官网网址檚 a whole new world to discover,B次元官网网址� said Scott, who developed her love of books and bookstores as a child and later a young woman who first visited and later worked at the iconic MunroB次元官网网址檚 Books. B次元官网网址淢y parents were friends with Jim and Alice (Munro) and thatB次元官网网址檚 where my love of books started. Jim taught me everything I know about book selling.B次元官网网址�

Asked about the challenges facing independent bookstores in an age of chain stores and Amazon, Scott paused for only a moment before responding.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e survived all that, and it all comes down to a wonderful customer base that loves books and bookstores. We have customers that come in every day,B次元官网网址� Scott said.

That observation was echoed by Teig Masterton, one of IvyB次元官网网址檚 Bookstores staff.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a community. We have customers who, if they donB次元官网网址檛 come in for a while, we start to worry,B次元官网网址� she said.

Her fellow staff member, Holly Gourley confirmed the community feel of the bookstore.

B次元官网网址淚 started working here because I spent way too much money in this store and then one day Megan came up and asked if IB次元官网网址檇 considered working at the bookstoreB次元官网网址� starting on Friday. IB次元官网网址檝e never looked back.B次元官网网址�

Another factor in the shopB次元官网网址檚 survival is the friendly, personal service. At least thatB次元官网网址檚 Susan McGuiganB次元官网网址檚 take on the shopB次元官网网址檚 success. SheB次元官网网址檚 another of ScottB次元官网网址檚 staff.

B次元官网网址淧eople know about this store. We have a great, curated, stock and weB次元官网网址檙e all very friendly and helpful and B次元官网网址� well weB次元官网网址檙e really nice women,B次元官网网址� she said with a smile that at once confirmed her self-evaluation.

Will IvyB次元官网网址檚 Bookshop last another 60 years?

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 always going to be people who love to hold a book B次元官网网址� the feel of it and the smell of it. Where else can you just disappear into another world?B次元官网网址� Scott said. B次元官网网址淎nd I have a responsibility to sustain the legacy left by Ivy, and to continue to be here for the wonderful community that has kept us going for so long. I just want to thank them so much.B次元官网网址�

And that, of course, brought us back to thinking of the cupcakes and prizes that will be available on at their June 1 celebration.

Ivy, weB次元官网网址檙e sure, would have approved.

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