Thanks for supporting local!

Thanks for supporting local!

Aug 16, 2022

We just finished two very busy weeks at the corner of Richmond and Dalhousie. First, Mayor Aldo cut the ribbon to officially open two new shops - Evelyn’s Candy House and White Woods Home. These new shops are helping make Amherstburg a local shopping destination and reducing your environmental impact by eliminating the need to drive many kilometres to a shopping mall.

Next, we celebrated our second birthday at the River Bookshop with celebrity guests, special anniversary pricing, the hosting the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and of course, birthday cake. Building new shops and opening them in a pandemic is not easy so we really appreciate how you have supported us, and in turn supported Amherstburg. Did you know that for every $100 spent at a locally owned business $73 remains in the local community?
Compare that to the same $100 spent at non locally owned businesses where only $43 remains local!

The beat goes on. We have so many new initiatives in planning which we hope will encourage you to shop in our stores, enjoy our events and visit Amherstburg.

Our Sunday Story Times have been a huge hit this summer and they will now continue all year long. Each Sunday at 1pm Lauren reads from 3-4 books - followed by some complimentary treats from Evelyn’s. We also welcome many celebrity readers – including this coming Sunday, August 21 when Yvette from The Runaways Farm will bring a very special assistant - Joey the piggy! Word has it that Joey likes his tummy rubbed. Yvette & Joey will also be sticking around to answer any questions you have about her important farm sanctuary. The Runaways Farm will also be hosting a raffle for some special Evelyn’s Candy House treats and will be selling some of their super cute merchandise. Come and learn while cuddling with a piggy.

On September 4th baker extraordinaire Anna Marano from The Panetteria will be our reader and, she may bring a delicious treat or two. Yummy!

One of our beliefs is that by supporting the arts we help make our community even better. When we kicked off our very successful Group of Seven exhibit, Executive Director of Art Windsor Essex Jennifer Matolek delivered a presentation to a collection of town councilors and community builders. It was entitled “The Power of Art. The Wonder of Awe”. It was so powerful we have asked her to present it again to a broader audience on August 23 at 6:30. We highly recommend coming to see this presentation - so sign up quickly. By the way, Jenifer was the champion of the five art reproductions now beautifying downtown Amherstburg. 

Did you know that we have a monthly Book Club hosted by Bookseller Cindy? It’s a great chance to gather with other readers in the Hole in the Wall and discuss a great title. The next meeting is on August 30 when we will discuss Richard Wagamese's "Indian Horse". Let us know if you would like to join. 

One of Amherstburg’s National Heritage Sites is Fort Malden. In the past we have enjoyed shining a light on other town jewels like the Freedom Museum, Marsh Collection, Park House and BelleVue. We know you will enjoy Alex Dale’s talk on the very interesting history of the Fort. Built in 1788 it played a role in the War of 1812, the battle of Lake Erie and the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. Fort Malden anchors Amherstburg’s heritage reputation. Come out to learn more about its amazing history on September 1st at 6:30 pm.

That’s a wrap, for now. Come and browse our ever-improving selection of titles, puzzles, and curated goods. We look forward to seeing you.

Team River Bookshop