‘How could Edmonton not have Audreys?’: Edmonton bookseller celebrating 50 years

Steve and Sharon Budnarchuk are book people, their lives interwoven with famous authors, stacks of paperbacks and a community of book lovers.

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For five decades, Audreys Books has been the destination for the city’s bibliophiles, the old hand of independent bookstores in Edmonton. They are one of 17 stores celebrating Canadian Independent Bookstore Day this year, turning it into a two-day affair, April 26 and 27. But it’s a special year for Audreys Books, the old hand at bookselling in Edmonton that celebrates its 50th anniversary.

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In a corner of the basement of the historic store, stacks of young adult books lining the walls floor to ceiling, the stories pour out of the Budnarchuks; visiting authors, the book industry in Canada, the good times and the tough times.

“It’s the best general education you can have. You are exposed to so much knowledge, so many people,” says Steve. “I went to university and studied math. When I became a bookseller, that’s when I became educated.”

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Audreys Books opened in 1975 when Audrey Whaley and her husband Ewart bought a bookstore once owned by famed publisher and book lover Mel Hurtig. Financial help came from Ammon and Audrey Ackroyd, and naming the store after the pair of Audreys seemed a no-brainer. They moved from the south side of Jasper Avenue between 103rd and 104th Street to the current location on 107th Street in 1978, the year their original location was demolished.

Steve and Sharon bought the store in 1988; Sharon was working as a book rep for a publisher, while Steve had almost two decades of experience managing bookstores.

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Surviving big box stores, online retailers

But along with the interesting people and the great education, there were also tough times. The store was hit hard by provincial government layoffs in the early 90s that put thousands of people in the downtown core out of work. Then a few years later came the big box bookstores, Chapters and Indigo opening a deluge of locations in Edmonton. Online retailing has become the latest threat to take a bite out of business, with Amazon and other online retailers taking a bite out of the book pie.

Through it all, Sharon and Steve persevered

“How could Edmonton not have Audreys? I think that was always our driving force,” says Sharon.

There is no secret to their success, a magic formula that transported them through the difficult years. Instead, they chalk it up to hard work and long hours, working diligently to manage expenses while making outreach into the community. Sharon sat on various boards, from literacy organizations to working with the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.

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Steve also credits Sharon’s mastery of book ordering, knowing what books to order for their customers.

“There were no formulas, no mathematical models for knowing what to purchase,” says Steve.

Finally, they became known as a literary hub in the city, the place where both local authors and visiting scribes would meet with the book-buying public.

Next generation

The future of the vaunted bookstore will soon be in the hands of Steve and Sharon’s daughter, Kelly Dyer. She’s been working at the store for three decades, learning the ropes and seeing the hard work her parents have put into the store.

She’s already made her mark, growing the children’s section over the last six or seven years after taking over from the previous section manager.

“It’s something I absolutely fell in love with,” says Dyer of the children’s section. “I love the books. I love being in this building. I love being around the books.”

It’s both a connection to the future and a link to the past. Families will bring their children into the store to browse on the weekends, a tradition they picked up from their parents at an Edmonton literary institution.

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That fascination with independent retailers increased during the pandemic as people came face-to-face with what it meant to buy local.

“Since COVID, people value what independent bookstores do. The idea of shop local has always been around, but it was a niche thing,” says Dyer.

Indie Bookstore Extravaganza

Audreys Books official 50th anniversary isn’t until mid-October, the half-century mark for when the pair of Audreys first threw open their doors on Jasper Avenue. The Edmonton Indie Bookstore Extravaganza is the first celebration, April 26-27, followed by a book fair at Bent Stick Brewery in late May, and a celebration at the solstice, staying open until midnight in honour of the year’s longest day.

Independent bookstores and comic bookstores from across the city, and even as far away as Sherwood Park and St. Albert, are participating in this year’s Edmonton Indie Bookstore Extravaganza. Book lovers can collect stamps at each store for a book passport, with a grand prize for the bibliophile who can fill their entire stamp passport.

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The indie stores are partnering with Edmonton Transit to provide bus service between some of the Edmonton locations on April 26, starting at noon. Organizers are also partnering with Paths for People, who will lead a bike tour of many of the independent bookstores, stopping for about 10 minutes at each store.

For more information about the book lovers celebration, visit the Edmonton Indie Bookstore Extravaganza website.

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