Newfoundland and Labrador’s most established publishing house is embarking on a fresh chapter in Downtown St. John’s, over ten years following a devastating fire that forced them to close their previous establishment. After years of operation on Stamps Lane, Breakwater Books’ president and publisher, Rebecca Rose, expressed readiness to make a comeback to downtown. Their new location on Duckworth Street was inaugurated with a grand opening event on Saturday. “This is where we truly began, where our presence was strongest,” Rose conveyed to CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show, emphasizing the significance of being situated in the downtown area.
Breakwater had a long-standing presence in the downtown core until a fire ravaged their building in 2010. Rose, who had taken over the family business, which was established by her father and his university associates in 1973, less than a year before the incident, stressed the importance of finding a suitable location capable of accommodating retail operations, publishing activities, storage, and distribution. With the addition of a secondary warehouse, Rose expressed the sentiment of returning to downtown as particularly meaningful, stating, “We truly feel like we’ve returned home.” Despite 52 years passing since Breakwater’s inception, Rose highlighted the consistent demand for local literature. “We are dedicated to promoting locally authored and published books that often get overshadowed in the mainstream market,” she explained. “People are eager to support local talent, but struggle to locate these titles due to the dominance of multinational works. Our aim is to champion these overlooked titles that resonate with readers who seek them out.”
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