And in 1971, when Barb and I moved here, the downtown itself was extremely vibrant. Most of the businesses were probably 20 to 25 years old and many of them older than that. – Doug Minett

I met Ben before I met the Bookshelf officially. I lived in Guelph. I came to Guelph when I was a teenager. I was like 15. And I remember Ben was actually at high school with me, but he was years ahead. – Steph Minett

I remember coming to downtown Guelph when I started university here in the late nineties. And we were looking for somewhere cool to go. – Audrey Jamal

So I’m on the board of directors and programming committee for Kazoo! Fest, which is a local music festival/music series. And we actually put on shows in the Ebar quite often. – Audrea Patehuiri

When The Bookshelf first opened in 1973, downtown #Guelph was vibrant and full of well-established shops. Businesses came and went, but The Bookshelf grew to include a café, followed by a cinema and event space. Four decades later, it continues to be a vital community hub and an inspiration for local artists and authors.