Final chapter: Maritime Christian Book Store closing its doors
'It’s a hard decision, but we feel it’s time'
It's the end of an era for a Charlottetown bookstore.
Maritime Christian Bookstore has announced it's closing up shop after almost 40 years in business.
Owner Bonnie May said the decision was not an easy one, and not made lightly or in haste.
"We've actually had the store up for sale for two years, and when there was nothing forthcoming, we decided this was the time we're going to have to make a decision here, so this is the decision we've made," May said.
Many factors led to the decision, May said, but changing customer shopping habits and steep competition from online sales made it increasingly difficult to stay open.
"There's a bit of a decline in the interest in Christian product now, but it was just we'd been in the business quite awhile ourselves and we were ready for a change, and when there was nobody to come and pick up we decided we would just have to close."
'Hurting people walk through our doors'
Maritime Christian Bookstore began as a one-room storage area run by Donald Stewart.
It evolved into a Bible college bookstore and then a full-fledged retail outlet owned and operated by Les and Fern Jones, Bonnie May's parents, for 10 years. Bonnie and her husband Roger May have owned it for the last 27 years.
The owners posted the news Tuesday on their website.
May said working with the customers at the faith-based bookstore was something that she will miss.
"We've had many hurting people walk through our doors and sometimes they just need somebody to talk to and need a quiet place to think, or some helpful books and information that will help them through a rough patch in their life," she said.
Longtime customer Cornelius Van Ewyk said he'll miss the friends he's met at the store the most.
"I always enjoyed meeting the people, so we're really going to miss that," he said. "I like to see the merchandise. The problem with ordering stuff, you don't always know what you're getting. When you see it, you know exactly what you're getting, and that's what I like about it."
"There's too many places you really like and they're disappearing, but life keeps changing."
May enjoyed helping people
May said the bookstore had been up for sale for a number of years, but didn't attract the right buyer.
"I'll miss being here to serve people and interact with people who are in need," she said. "Every day is different when we come to work we don't know who will walk through the door and what their needs will be. I enjoyed helping people."
I'll miss being here to serve people and interact with people who are in need.— Bonnie May
As for the next chapter in their lives, it's still to be written.
"I'm not going to retire yet. We'll find other areas of service sure," she said. "There's always something to do as far as volunteer work. We'd probably like to do some travelling and reuniting with friends."
"It's in our heart. It's really hard to leave it."
Maritime Christian Bookstore will close its doors for good on June 16.