It’s said that Yogi Berra, the great New York Yankee, didn’t have much time for books. But he is known for his ability to coin a phrase, and we’d like to borrow one of his best-known ones here. For when we reported the long-feared and recently announced closure of Curiosity House Books last week, it turns out we should have added a caveat: that, as Yogi said, “it ain’t over ’till it’s over!”
In a surprise turn of events, Creemore’s bookstore found a buyer this week, and will now continue its operations at a new location next month.
“The partners of Curiosity House Books & Gallery are delighted to announce that Ralph Hicks will become the new owner of the bookstore on May 25, 2012,” said a statement from current owners Catherine Randall, Miriam Vince, Rowland Fleming and Tom Vandewater, delivered to the Echo on Thursday afternoon. “The business will then move to a new location further up the street at 178 Mill Street (in the space formerly occupied by Cottonwood Historic Trim and Moulding).”
Although Hicks is best known in Creemore as the sculptor of the Dress Up Dance fountain in the horticultural park, he does have an extensive background in the retail industry. Before coming to Canada, he was a buyer in London, England for one of the largest drugstore chains in the world; later, he became a successful consultant to the Canadian retail industry. Since closing his consultancy business seven years ago, Hicks has been focusing on his sculpting full-time at his Mulmur home and studio.
That is, until early this week, when he had a revelation. “At about 9:30 on Monday morning, I was driving in Toronto, and I started to think about the bookstore’s imminent demise,” he told the Echo. “I simply thought that someone should save it, and then I realized: why not me?”
A half an hour later he was on the phone with Randall, and on Tuesday they met and came to an agreement. On Wednesday, a lease was signed at the new location. “It’s really quite amazing how things can move along when there’s only one person making the investment decision,” he said.
While Hicks will need a few weeks to acquaint himself with the store and the publishing industry, he said his objective for his new business will be simple. “I aim to make this the best little bookstore in Canada,” he said. “It’s already been voted one of the ten best, and I want to build on that. I really believe that if you are determined to be the best in your field, commercial success can follow.”
After a long hunt for someone to take over the business, the current owners of Curiosity House greeted Hicks’ purchase with a mixture of excitement and relief.
“We are thrilled by the amazing commitment Ralph is making to ensure that the store continues to be a worthwhile contributor to the cultural health of the community,” they said in their joint statement. “We anticipate that his business acumen will ensure that Curiosity House will be a vital and viable business enterprise for many years to come. And to this end, we encourage all of our friends and supporters to support Ralph and his staff as they enter this new phase of operation.”