Twenty-six years ago, Tom and Barbara Pope took over ownership of Mulberry Bush bookstore in downtown Qualicum Beach. It wasn’t long before they began hearing about the looming demise of printed books.
“I think that started about 25 years ago,” Tom Pope said with a laugh. “Over the years, some folks have come in and said it’s the end of books. But readership across Canada is up. And our market share is up.”
Which is why the store’s front window on Saturday sported not a going-out-of-business sign, but an invitation for the public to come in and help celebrate its 40th anniversary of serving the mid Island and beyond.
“We’re survivors,” said Pope, who with his wife opened a second Mulberry Bush location in Parksville in 1992. “One of the big things for us is people locally recognize the benefit of supporting a community business. Our customers are very loyal.”
That loyalty was rewarded Saturday with a full-fledged 40th birthday party, complete with cake, coffee and balloons, prize giveaways and live music by local musician Bruce Feltham, who kept up a lively sales pitch between songs from his perch just outside the shop door.
A steady stream of regulars and newcomers, as many as a dozen at a time, poured into the tiny store at 130 2nd Ave. Most strolled the aisles and perused the wares, but some simply came to share a hug or a word of contratulations with the Popes.
“It’s kind of an emotional day, in a way,” Barbara said. “We know we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our wonderful customers. To have them coming in like this and offering their congratulations and well-wishes, it’s very gratifying. Overwhelming, actually.”
Barbara Pope, front left, offers customer Marilyn Dawson a piece of cake during the 40th birthday party at Mulberry Bush Bookstore in Qualicum Beach Saturday. At far left is her husband and co-owner, Tom Pope. Employee Tina Timmermans appears at centre. — Image credit: J.R. Rardon/PQB NEWS
Those customers, and a dedicated staff of one full-time and four part-time employees in the two locations, have kept Mulberry Bush going through the advent of audio books, the explosion of the internet and its online booksellers, e-readers and e-books, and the giant booksellers that began cropping up around the turn of the century.
“When Chapters opened in Nanaimo, some people thought it would spell the end of us,” said Tom. “But we’re not actually up against the big stores. We do a lot of special orders and find books that may be hard to locate. That’s a large part of our business.”
The couple’s success has been recognized by the Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce, which twice has awarded Mulberry Bush its Business of the Year. And just this spring, Tom was awarded the chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Fittingly, the award was commemorated by a large, slate plaque inscribed with intricate First Nations artwork created by Marcia Wright — who just happens to be a Mulberry Bush customer.
“That was amazing,” Pope said of his selection for the lifetime achievement award. “At the awards I asked them, ‘Is this because I’ve outlasted everyone else?’
“One of my customers said, ‘You’ve become an institution.’ I said, ‘No, I belong in one.’”
The longevity of the bookstore, which the Popes purchased from previous owner Enid Perry in 1989, has already far exceeded their expectations.
“I don’t think we ever envisaged we’d be at it this long,” said Barb. “But when you’re in this business, it’s not just a business. It’s a life, and it’s a life well-lived.”
The couple — who celebrated their 50th anniversary this June — were high school sweethearts in Abbotsford before marrying in 1965. Wanting to see some of the world before settling down, they traveled to New Zealand with the idea of spending a year or two. It turned into a 24-year stay, with Tom managing a firm of funeral directors and Barbara working in accounting and business management.
When Tom’s family-owned business was sold to a multinational corporation, he and Barbara returned to Canada and began casting about for a place to settle on Vancouver Island, which they remembered fondly from their honeymoon. After settling on the Parksville Qualicum Beach region, they next had to decide what to do with themselves.
“After years of me working long and strange hours, Barbara said, ‘I’d like to do something that we could do together.’ She said, ‘I think I’d like to own a small bookstore.’
“I said, ‘Oh, I don’t think there’s any way I could be a bookseller,’” Tom said with a laugh.
