Wildfire Fund for Jenn, Brad, & The Book Cellar

Hello! My name is Thea Reimer and I'm raising emergency funds for our dear friends, Jenn and Brad. As many of you know, Jenn and Brad were among the 20,000 plus residents of Yellowknife who have been forced to evacuate because of wildfires. On August 16th they were instructed to evacuate. They had to flee their new home, leave their business, and drive south for over 10 hours with their three cats. Since then, they’ve been scrambling to get accommodation, all while waiting to see if wildfires were going to devour their city. As you can imagine, this has been an incredibly stressful, chaotic, and expensive time for them. They could use significant personal financial help. However, what they especially need is a large sum to keep their business alive. They run The Book Cellar, which is a Yellowknife institution. It’s been serving the community for 44 years. As Canada’s northernmost independent bookstore, it provides books to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and serves libraries and schools throughout the North. They also pay a living wage and are significant supporters of Northern and Indigenous literatures and writers. They’ve even been written up by the CBC.

Their financial needs in this time of crisis are huge. Things work a little differently in the North, which among other things means very expensively. Their rent and technological costs alone are $12,394.16 per month. The grant they are applying for from the government is, should they be awarded it, miniscule compared to their need. Their bills are due now. They are without revenue. And there’s no certainty about when they’ll be operational again. Neither Jenn nor Brad is taking a salary right now. They’re doing everything they can to support their staff and are particularly fighting not to lay anyone off.

Some of you may have heard it is projected that territorial call to evacuate will end at the end of this week. Please know that the does not mean a return to normal. Getting home for Jenn and Brad still means the expense of gas, over-subscribed accommodation, and food on the road. Once home, Yellowknife healthcare provision will only be for the most essential lifesaving needs as wildfires have significantly impacted supply chains. Returnees have been advised to pack at least 72 hours’ worth of food and water as only the most basic services will be available when they come home. And they could be asked to evacuate again as over 200 wildfires are still burning in the area.

Many of our lives have been impacted profoundly by Jenn and Brad. All funds raised will go directly to Jenn and Brad to cover their personal evacuation costs and to keep The Book Cellar in business. I know many of us are eager to support them and eager to support independent bookstores in general. Let’s protect this Northern institution and fight for a return to normalcy for those in Yellowknife and others in the North impacted by the wildfires. When they had to close on August 16th, the Book Cellar sent out a message to their staff and patrons.

“Stay safe. Take care. We can do this.”

Let’s help.