Owner of Edmonton's longest-standing independent bookstore retires

After 50 years in the book business, the co-owner of Audreys Books is turning a page.

Sharon Budnarchuk retiredon Sunday from her work with the downtown independent bookstore.

Her lengthy career in the book industry has hadmany chapters.

Budnarchuk got her startin 1969, when she was a university student in Winnipeg andworked as a textbook buyer for Classic Books, a bookstore chain that was later swallowed up in a merger with Chapters Inc.

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She was a full-time book buyer for Classic Books when shewas transferred to Edmonton in the early1970s.

For a decade, she worked asabook agent until 1988 when she and her husband Steve purchasedAudreys.

Audreys Books, which set upon Jasper Avenue in 1975,is now Edmonton's oldest independent bookstore, and the only one still standing thatexclusively sells new releases.

But it wasn't always easy. Budnarchuk saidshe and her husband facedmany obstacles along the way.

"We have learned to dance on our feet," she told Edmonton's Radio Active on Tuesday.

The store managed to stay afloat whenmanydowntown Edmonton businesses struggled.

She helped the neighbourhood recover from a difficult economic period when she became the first female president of the downtown business association in 1993.

Retail changes

Her bookstore has also had its challenges over the years. Audreys was forced tochange its business model whenChapters became the dominant bookseller in Canada.

"We moved away from bestsellers because that's what chains had," she said.

The bookstore instead focused on promoting local authors and catering to special requests from clients.

"We started to create very good history sections, very good psychology sections to the point where we do big conferences in that area and we're known for it," the Audreys co-owner said.

Despite the changes in the book industry, Budnarchuksaid the business owners have beenlucky todosomething they both love.

"My husband and I will be married for 50 years in August and only five[of those years] we didn't work together. That deserves a medal I think," she said.

Author friendships

Over theyears, she became close with many of the authors whotouredfor publicity events.

"People like Pierre Berton and Peter Newman, and [Peter] Gzowski and Margaret Atwood were on a first-name basis," she said.

"We could meet anywhere, chit-chat and talk about family and friends."

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Surprisingly, she said the writer who made the biggest impression was a politician.

She met Britain's former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a book fair in Miami over tea, whenThatcher was promoting her autobiography.

"I've never met someone so single-minded and so completely sure of herself," Budnarchuk said.

"Some people have an aura. They walk into a room and even if your back is turned, you know that something is there and you have to turn around," she said.

The next chapter

Although her time with the bookstore has come to an end,Budnarchuk promises to notleave the literary community behind.

Her family will take control of the store whileBudnarchuk enjoys retirement.

"I'm going to read without feeling guilty about all the paperwork on my desk," she said.