Pitch-off champs win a years’ rent, and bring their ‘Someday’ bookshop to life

[column size=one_half position=first ]

Imagine this: a young couple hashes out a business plan to bring their media start-up dream to life. They pitch it to an investor in a city-wide contest, and lo and behold, they win!

But this isn’t Silicon Valley, where big bucks charge up the quickest and cheapest digital commodities. Instead, winners Graham Thompson and Elysia French offer a chance to slow down and savour a good book at their brand new bookshop, Someday Books. The lease to the space and year’s occupancy rent free were the grand prize in the St Catharine’s Downtown Association’s Win This Space contest, and true to form, their mission is pitch perfect: “to showcase and celebrate the literary arts through events, workshops, and clubs.”

“The year of free rent was a game changer for us,” says Thompson.

As for the years to come, they might count on a different kind of angel investor. Local authors, artists and book enthusiasts are already flocking to the space, ready to read.

“We plan to be around for a while.”[/column][column size=one_half position=last ]Someday Books is located on 21 King Street in St. Catharines, Ontario. Find out more and sign up for their newsletter at somedaybooks.ca

[/column]