After 32 years Lori Jess is closing the book on her downtown store.
The decision did not come lightly, sales have been slow since January and Jess knew holding on for too long would not be beneficial. “Air doesn’t feed me nor my son.”
She feels changes in technology are a large part of why the Ponoka Book Store has had a tough year in sales. People are downloading digital copies of books rather than buying a hard copy. Jess gave it “one more kick at the can” three years ago by repainting the shop and diversifying into giftware.
Jess started at the Book Store as a summer job after high school. She even moved into the upstairs apartment and made a home of the store. She bought the store in 1985 and shares ownership of the building with her sister.
“My head knows it’s the right thing to do but my heart is sad,” she added.
Change can be difficult but Jess is no stranger to uncertainty; her common-law husband committed suicide himself 11 years ago and she had no idea what the future would hold for her then.
However dedication and a love for selling books allowed her to own the building outright.
“I paid my mortgage a year ago in May,” stated Jess.
While trying to decide on what to do with her business, Jess took a drive around the downtown area and was saddened to see the state of affairs.
“There’s six empty stores, three on each side,” she explained.
This doesn’t include the empty stores on adjacent streets. She also worries about the future of her building, which is a historical landmark. It used to be the Ladies Community Restroom and has always been owned by a woman. “The women would ride into town with their buggies and they would come to clean up and nurse the babies.”
“Women raised the money to build this building,” she added.
Memories of being at the Book Store will always remain with Jess though, she has met some wonderful people in her time, “If these walls could talk.”
She believes town councillors missed the boat 15 years ago by not planning for growth. Those decisions, or lack of decisions, have created some negative effects in the downtown area.
Sherry Gummow, owner of Busted Ladies Lingerie, saw the going out of business posters on store windows and was upset with Jess’s decision. “This is a bad joke is it not?”
“There’s no leadership,” stated Gummow. “I’m just so frustrated right now.”
She feels a non-resident business owner should be able to run for election in Ponoka because the decisions town council makes affect her business.