'World's oldest Queer bookstore' in Toronto on the brink of closing
Toronto's Glad Day Bookshop, operating in the heart of The Village, is in the midst of a turbulent chapter — hoping to turn the page and avoid closing forever.
“There’s this mix of hope and people coming together but also this fear that Toronto’s changing,” said lead owner, Michael Erickson in an interview Tuesday.
Opening nearly 55 years ago — the business holds the title of the world’s oldest Queer bookstore. The space is also run as a non-profit.
Now COVID-19 setbacks and debt, coupled with inflation, threaten to end its story.
“We’re all struggling to make ends meet so we’re seeing this decrease in revenue and increase in costs, this is just coming to a head.”
In an attempt to write its next chapter — Glad Day is fundraising. Erickson said it needs $100, 000 by early July. It’s demise is not a reality locals want to mourn.
“I really love this community and I really hope we can really band together and make stuff happen so im hopeful that’s something we can do,” said one woman passing by the shop.
“When they had their store on Yonge street it was one of the first places I went to buy my first gay book, so I was quite happy it moved to Church street and became and inclusive space,” said another man.
“It’s just a sad thing our Glad Day is closing and I foresee the future as a lot more closing,” said another man.
Craig Jennex is an assistant English professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and author who has written about Glad Day. He said Glad Day has gone from a man named Jerald Moldenhauer selling Queer literature out of a bag at events to a vital community hub.
“What’s special about Glad Day is both it history but also it’s focus. So this is a space I come to books launches, erotic poetry readings, trivia, bingo and so it’s so much more than a bookstore,” said Jennex.
“I think a lot of people underestimate how many LGBTQ people live in the neighbourhood. It’s also a first stop for a lot of newcomers and people from rural Ontario, so while it is safe for people to go out of the neighbourgood, it’s not safe for everyone”
Erickson said Glad Day evolved to sell coffee and alcohol as a way generate revenue. A high school teacher, he said he doesn’t make a salary at the store.
The positive news, he said, Glad Day raised $58,000 during the first 24 hours of its plea.
“In the short term, there’s an immediate need to avoid eviction and the hope is then to have enough in the next year to figure out what’s next.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977053.1721909931!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
LIVE UPDATES 'Hopefully it's better than what we're thinking': Jasper wildfire damage details anxiously awaited
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Loblaw to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'