I with Kelly Hughes, the owner of Aqua Books, one of my favorite bookshops in Winnipeg

If you’re not only an avid book reader but also a passionate book collector and an adventurer, then you’re not content with the books available at commercial booksellers like Chapters and McNally Robinson. You are also interested in checking out those bookshops that sell used books—especially classic, old-print, obscure, and hard-to-find books. 

So now that the drier days of spring are looming and summer is just around the corner, you may start scheduling a book walk on some weekends. All you need are a small budget, a sense of adventure, and this little guide map.

Downtown Winnipeg, there we go...

1. You may start at Goodwill Thrift Store, at 70 Princess Street (between Notre Dame Avenue and McDermot Avenue). Here you’ll find stacks of economically priced used books—ranging from 25 cents to dollar seventy-five.

2. Now proceed to Comic Factory IV, at 306 Notre Dame (just past Princess). The store sells not only superhero comicbooks but also manga, science-fiction pocketbooks, and action figures.

3. Then leap onto Toad Hall Toys, at 54 Arthur Street (near Notre Dame). This very child-friendly store features hundreds of new children’s books and collectible stuff like animal figures, toy vehicles, model train replicas, vintage-brand candies, and magic-tricks paraphernalia.

4. Next stop is the nearby Red River Books, at 92 Arthur. Be ready to spend a longer time at this warehouse-type bookshop, which features piles and piles of books of diverse genres as well as films, comics, magazines, CDs, and record vinyls.

5. After spending a considerable time at Red River Books, you may want to fill your stomach at Pastry Castle Bakery & Café, located at the corner of McDermot and Arthur. This Filipino-owned establishment serves sandwiches, salads, pastries, and coffee and other drinks.

6. If you’re a vegan or curious enough to try vegan food, then check out Mondragon Bookstore & Coffee House instead, at 91 Albert. The store specializes also on books on feminism, collectivism, social action, and other politically oriented issues.

7. Now that you’ve recharged, you’re ready to resume your book walk. Time to check out Aqua Books, at 274 Garry Street—where the majority of the books is priced under $10. Also, if you’re still aching for something to nibble or sip, you may order a soup, pastries, or gluten-free food at Eat! Bistro, located inside this used-books store.

8. Now ready to walk again, you head to Book Fair, at 340 Portage Avenue (near MTS Centre, between Carlton and Hargrave Streets). One of Winnipeg’s oldest retailers of newer used books, Book Fair also does book trading. 

9. Proceed to the nearby Bison Books, at 265 Kennedy Street. This shop specializes on hardcovers and literary history and biographies.

If you have extra time after your literary trip, then you may end your day with a stop at Portage Place Shopping Centre, just across Portage Avenue, Downtown Winnipeg’s shopping destination.

The Last Leaf
In his 1972 song “Walk on the Wild Side,” from his second solo album—Transformer, the American Rock artist Lou Reed (formerly of The Velvet Underground) sings…

Sugar plum fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin’ for soul food and a place to eat…
Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side…

Now I say,
True booklover, go and hit the streets this spring
Start looking for soul food and a place to read…
Hey there, take a walk on the literary side and sing….