River Bee Books founder Bridget Neigum hopes her downtown store will provide Hatters a space to learn, explore, gather and enjoy the joys of reading.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
A new independent bookstore has opened in Medicine Hat’s downtown, much to the welcome reception of Hatters and other downtown business owners.
River Bee Books, located at 216 S. Railway St., opened in late March, but has already gained a following within the community, founder Bridget Neigum said Tuesday morning, only minutes before unlocking the door and welcoming in the first customers of the day.
Neigum, a resident of Medicine Hat for the past 15 years, has always dreamed of establishing an independent bookstore, but late last year those dreams were put into motion when she and husband Jaus, the store’s co-founder, stumbled upon their ideal downtown store space.
“We love the downtown core,” said Neigum. “We spent a lot of time down here and we really want to see the downtown succeed. So, (setting up the store in this space) almost felt like rolling up our sleeves and really getting involved (in its success).”
The couple was involved in every element of the store’s design, from the custom-made face-out book shelving which allows customers to easily browse book titles, to the interior decoration purposefully curated to compliment historic features of its building.
“We wanted to offer a place of discovery to the residents of Medicine Hat,” said Neigum. “And really create that diverse culture in our own city (because) to me, books are another form of art.”
Neigum stocks books of various genres, for all ages, including romance, historical fiction, philosophy, cooking, sports, new age, business, self-help, mystery, travel with special focus on Alberta, Indigenous literature, LGBTQ+ literature, children and youth literature and more, with focus on works by forthcoming authors and Alberta-based authors.
When choosing which books to stock, she tries to choose those she feels match the unique interests of community members.
“That’s what’s so great about independent bookstores,” said Neigum. “It’s the freedom of honing into (and understanding) the needs of your community, while representing it as best as you can in a balanced way.”
Selling over half her stock in the store’s first week of operations, Neigum appears to have succeeded in appealing to and representing community members.
While River Bee Books is already open to Hatters from Tuesday to Sunday weekly, Neigum welcomes them to the store’s grand opening which runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon on April 29.
