A new shop may seem to be heaven sent for Oak Bay bookworms.
The Church Mouse book shop will have its grand opening Saturday in St. Mary’s Anglican Church.
“The idea came from a sale that we had back in 2013. It was just a garage sale, it had a bit of everything, but the real hit were books,” said Warren Steck, the volunteer who will oversee operations at the book shop.
“A lot of people around Oak Bay like to read and when they’re finished reading they like to donate their books somewhere.”
Setting up shop didn’t come without its complications, as the church is not zoned for commercial use. But Steck was able to sit down with the mayor and work out a solution.
“What we’re going to do is we won’t be selling anything. We’ll be providing books – if you choose a book, you make a donation – something that has happened since the year 1 in churches anyway.”
Steck estimates a couple of thousand books – from novels to biographies to textbooks – will fill the shelves for Saturday’s opening. The Church Mouse’s regular hours will be Tuesday to Friday from 1:30-4 p.m.
The money raised through the donations will go to various charities the church supports, such as Our Place and other area food banks, Victoria Women’s Transition House, Abbeyfield House and a network of other charities supported by the Anglican Church across the country.
“None of the donations will go to remuneration of any kind, we’re all unpaid volunteers,” said Steck. “And none of it goes to general support of the church or its administration.”
Books can be dropped off any morning at the church office or at the drop-off location outside the book shop.
Saturday’s sale runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s, 1701 Elgin Rd.
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