GULL LAKE — April 26 marked Canadian Independent Bookstore Day in Gull Lake. This yearly celebration encourages readers to visit and support local independent bookstores.
Yellow Canary Books and Stationery, a small independent bookstore run by the husband-and-wife team of Cole Girodat and Hannah Roper, celebrated this year's Canadian Independent Bookstore Day with great success.
The store, operated daily by Hannah, had a lineup of "door-busters" to kick off the celebration, and a constant influx of customers from 10 a.m. onwards.
The store's history began with Cole, who is from the Gull Lake region, meeting Hannah in post-secondary school in Lethbridge.
When asked about the origin of the store's name, Hannah explained that it comes from her hometown.
"Lethbridge has deep roots as a coal mining town, and historically, yellow canaries were used in the mines to detect dangerous gases and keep miners safe," she explained. "We thought 'Yellow Canary' was a fun and meaningful name for a bookstore – a nod to our beginnings, with a twist of history woven in. Just like canaries once helped guide miners to safety, we hope Yellow Canary Books & Stationery can be a place that leads readers into a safe, welcoming space full of stories, community, and discovery."
Since opening in November 2022, Hannah and Cole have found that the community has shown a lot of support and is very welcoming.
"There are lots of book lovers in the community of Gull Lake and the southwest, so it's wonderful," said Hannah.
The Yellow Canary has a vast selection of books to choose from, including a local author section. This area features a book by Â鶹ÊÓƵwest Saskatchewan writer Keith Leonard, "Short Not Sweet: Coffee Fiction Series Book 1," which was previously featured in The Shaunavon Standard. This book can also be found in the mystery and thriller section of the store.
Another area writer, Chris Beuhler of Frontier, also has works available at the Gull Lake outlet.
To celebrate Canadian Independent Bookstore Day, the owners of the Yellow Canary had many ideas. These included a large-value raffle basket, a spin of a publisher's prize wheel for customers who made a purchase, and a "Kids' Activity Table" with colouring and stickers to keep children busy.
One popular prize idea was the "Golden Ticket," similar to Willy Wonka's concept, where a customer could win a year's worth of audiobooks if they found the ticket hidden in the store. The golden ticket was later found tucked behind an audiobook sign at the front of the till by a lucky customer.
When asked about their favourite genres as readers, Hannah said she enjoys mystery and thriller, while Cole prefers sci-fi. However, they've found that the best-selling books in their store are those related to Saskatchewan.
"Anything from Saskatchewan is a hit – like any of our non-fiction, which flies off the shelf," they said.
Despite the windy weather, around 100 people visited the store, making it a great day for the local economic community and a great day for book lovers everywhere.”
