Bookmarked! #107: Bookstores No More XV: Highway Book Shop

The Highway Book Shop (a.k.a “Northern Ontario’s Unexpected Treasure”) was located on a stretch of Highway 11 (at 1,800 km the second-longest highway in Ontario) just outside of the town of Cobalt. At one time the fourth-highest producer of silver in the world, Cobalt now has a population under 1,000. And if you’re ever planning on visiting, it’s really, really out there.

The Highway Book Shop was a husband-and-wife operation that began life as a print shop in 1957. I don’t know how much foot traffic they ever had, despite being a local tourist attraction, but they did have a presence online. They closed doors in 2011.

Book: Galore by Michael Crummey

Bookmarked Bookmarks

Bookmarked! #104: The Canadian Encyclopedia

The Canadian Encyclopedia was the brainchild of publisher Mel Hurtig, and the first edition came out in 1985. The bookmark on the left is a promotion for it, and pictured is the original 1985 edition, which came in three handsome volumes. My father was one of the original subscribers so that’s how we came to have a copy. It sold out its initial run right away, and a second edition was published in 1988. The bookmark on the right is for a single-volume 2000 edition.

I thought it was an excellent resource and I’m glad I’ve held on to it over the years. I don’t think it’s published as a print edition anymore, having moved online.

Book: The Canadian Encyclopedia

Bookmarked Bookmarks