Beacon Books enters final chapter, with iconic Sidney shop shuttering at month's end

Christine Tanner, owner of Beacon Books in Sidney, is set to retire at the end of this month. Tanner and her late husband Clive Tanner are credited with giving Sidney the title of "book town."

Eighty-six-year-old Christine Tanner first fell in love with books at the age of 14.

“I thought, when I grow up, I’m going to have a book store,” said Tanner.

That’s exactly what happened – in fact, she’s had many.

For Tanner, standing at just 5’3”, it’s been a long career of standing on her tippy toes, reaching for books on top selves.

But the owner of Beacon Books in Sidney says her career has reached its final chapter.

“As of Jan. 31, I’m retired,” said Tanner.

The store’s furniture, shelves and thousands of books will be heading to Creston, B.C., purchased by another book store. Beacon Books with that distinct bright red split Dutch door will be closed for good.

Longtime customers say the book store is irreplaceable.

“Oh God, yes,” said George McLaren, who has been visiting the store on a regular basis for years.

“You walk in and it smells like an old book store,” said Danielle Pinneger, another customer.

That’s exactly what it is. The shop opened in 1993, selling only used books, ones that staff say are often hard to find.

“We’ve heard nothing but people saying, What are we going to do now? Where are we going to go?” said Kathie Speight, an employee at Beacon Books.

It the end of an era.

But the store’s closure is not the conclusion to this story. You see, Tanner and her late husband will be leaving behind a legacy.

Moving to the community in 1982, the Tanners owned and operated a half-dozen book stores in Sidney over a 40-year period.

“At one time there were nine books stores, not all owned by us,” said Tanner.

Giving Sidney the title of being “Canada’s only book town.”

“’Book town’ became kind of a phenomenon for tourists,” said Al Smith, executive director of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Smith says the Tanners turned Sidney into an international destination for book-lovers.

“Tourists would come to Sidney because they heard about ‘book town’ and they heard about the different eclectic little book shops that were all over the city,” said Smith.

“At one time it was really booming,” said Tanner.

At the end of the month, Sidney book town will be down to just three book stores as Tanner turns the final page on what she calls the most rewarding career a book lover could have ever hoped for.

“I might do some writing, but for the beginning I’m just going to rest,” said Tanner.