A sad loss in an area that badly needed a great store like Pages. I hope they find another space that they love.

A great bookstore and a true independent. Marc made something special out if his stretch of ground on Queen West — a store where discoveries are made. Your report says the property was owned by the city. I guess the mayor may tout Richard Florida’s ideas about culture and the city without realizing that it’s not just the Ballet and the Performing Arts Centre but the local independent bookstore that makes a city’s character.

How about Parkdale? Still downtown and there are some reasonable storefronts there. I hope is all works out for Pages – fanTAStic bookstore.

Toronto will be less of city without Pages.

“An exhaustive two-year search for an alternative location, but nothing appropriate has appeared” sounds like a cop-out more than anything else.

Marc: Leslieville is in desperate need of a store like Pages — there are no book or magazine shops for miles — and there’s craploads of available retail space at Queen and Leslie to meet any need. We’d love to have you.

A terrible blow not only for Toronto but for the rest of Canada too. Here’s hoping all is not lost and Pages finds life elsewhere.

I heartily second Greg P.’s suggestion for Leslieville. Of course, I’m biased since I live five minutes walk from the location he mentioned.

I don’t think Marc is coping out, he also noted other concerns such as ebooks. He’s obviously looking down the road too. The nature of book selling is changing and right or wrong sees no place for himself there. But Greg’s right Leslieville could use a Pages bookstore.

A great bookstore that will be sorely missed; however, I imagine many people will not rue the loss of the inevitable checkout clerk with the ‘tude. Would love to see Pages relocate to Queen East–especially if it can replace baby on the hip, kids on the hip, or one of the dozen or so doggy-lifestyle stores that are massing like zebra mussels in the area.

I concur, Marc. Leslieville seems like a no-brainer. For anyone else reading this (Type Books, if you’re thinking of expanding more) there is a massive void that is screaming to be filled. This is a very literary, coffee guzzling hood that has been overlooked too long. But Marc, if you’re truly done, thanks for 30 yrs of Pages. It will be missed.

You mourn our store but how many of you shopped there in the last 6 months? Or did you rely on free books from publishers or shop for deep discounts online?

It is so sad – I have been buying there for 20 years and will miss it/them terribly.

I have heard these complaints of the “inevitable checkout clerk with the ‘tude” variety before. I quite disagree. In my experience the folks there are/were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.

Dear Marc,
Leslieville is not the only hip area sans books — what about Hillcrest Village, where I live? We have nothing (sniff) AND tons of vacancies because of the prolonged disruptions caused by the St Clair streetcar renovations AND a very literary and artistic community — I can name 20 writers in a few blocks radius, including myself, who would make Pages our home away from home!

By coincidence Spacingmontreal.ca had a story from me on Friday about the necessity for low rents if you want independent book stores. http://spacingmontreal.ca/2009/07/10/rents-recycling-buildings-and-retailing-books/#comments

Cheers

Mary

I have a book of monologues which I purchased from Pages on Queen St, and I was just there again about two weeks ago to browse. As a poet, editor, freelance writer, publisher and photographer, I’m sorry about
Pages leaving Queen Street West. I live on Bloor and can distinctly remember when Book City left Yonge Street over a year ago to move to Queen Street. Maybe the store, and the size of the collection can be
downsized. Add a hip cafe. I’d do it if I was the owner.