Word Squirrel opened in Kincardine, Ontario, in May 2025.

Shop Talk is an occasional feature in which fledgling independent booksellers take Q&Q into their stores and share their reasons for opening and what business has been like so far. 

Word Squirrel
325 Durham Market North
Kincardine, Ont.

There were moments last May when Olivia Hinchberger worried her plan might be delusional – was taking a retail space from zero to bookstore in 16 days even possible?

But on May 17, 2025, Word Squirrel opened its doors in the Lake Huron community of Kincardine, Ontario, launching just in time for the May long weekend. 

Hinchberger, who previously worked at a bank and as a recipe tester, had dreamed of opening a bookstore for at least three years, but given that there was already a store in her hometown that sold books – the longtime family-owned Fincher’s, a book, toy, and gift store which also had another location in nearby Goderich, Ontario – she didn’t imagine the idea would come to fruition. 

After the owners of Fincher’s announced their retirement in early 2025, however, she decided to make the dream a reality, and kept an eye out for available retail spaces in a community where they can be in short supply.

In April, a retail space in an old house a couple of blocks from the lake that used to house a clothing store and a home goods store opened up. Hinchberger signed the lease and started putting in book orders. 

“It was actually bananas,” she says. “I got the keys on May 1 and we opened on May 17. My dad tore down one of the back walls and re-drywalled it, and all of my friends came in and helped me build IKEA furniture.… Everyone was coming together to get this bookstore open.”

The general interest bookstore is about 700 square feet and sells books for both young and adult readers and includes a recently added stationery section. Hinchberger works at the store alongside her father and sister. 

She recently talked to Q&Q about what the first few months of business have been like.

Why open Word Squirrel in 2025? 

As midnight struck, ringing in 2025, I had never felt more professionally lost, defeated, and quite frankly depressed. I knew that something had to change, but sometimes in the depths of darkness, it can be hard to imagine that light even exists. Opening a book shop in the small town I was born in had been romantically dancing around my mind for a while, but as I was living in a rural area that already had a store that sold books, it felt like a misstep. 

Little did I know that a few weeks later, the owners of the shop that had been in our town for around 50 years would announce their retirement, and that little seed of an idea would become all consuming. I couldn’t possibly live in a town without a bookstore! When a rental popped up across from Victoria Park in a quirky old house, I jumped on it. 

How has the community and its readers responded to the store?

Kincardine has been wildly supportive of the shop from the start, and I will be eternally grateful for every single person who’s walked through my door. Since opening the bookstore, I’ve discovered that there are so many people like me, introverts who come out of their shells to yap about books, who are also looking for community. 

The shop hosts many book clubs, including partnerships with our local Pride organization, and an article club in collaboration with Community Living’s Active Living 55+ program. 

After running our first kids’ summer reading challenge in 2025, countless parents came in saying that the challenge was the only thing that got their child reading over the summer break and that warmed my soul so much. 

How do you reach potential readers?

I am trying to leverage social media to increase the store’s reach. I have also started writing an advertorial once per month in my local newspaper, highlighting both new releases and potentially overlooked titles. I have also been a guest speaker with local community groups, and am advertising in local visitors’ guides and magazines with the hope of reaching both permanent residents and seasonal visitors. 

What are your goals for the bookstore?

We have quite a few goals for our little general interest bookstore. To start, we plan to increase our offering of French titles for both children and adults. The few titles that we have brought in have gone over well, and we are consistently asked about them. Especially with the rising popularity of French immersion programs in the area, this will need to be a priority. We would also like to offer shipping to customers, and are working to source materials that are both cost effective and represent the brand of the store. 

What has been most surprising or unexpected about opening a bookstore or about your first few months in business?

One of the wonderful things that has surprised me is just how supportive the bookselling community is. I regularly chat with other independent bookstore owners, sharing ideas, pain points, and vendor information. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming as I’ve navigated opening the store. It’s just so great to have a community of people in similar situations who all want to see each other succeed.

This interview has been edited and condensed.