Lexicon Books in picturesque Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, is re-opening its doors on July 10 with a new name, Block Shop Books, and ownership team. The five-year-old bookshop, which celebrated its birthday on May 1, shut its doors in early April in response to the COVID-19 health crisis.

The store’s name is a reference to its historic location on Montague Street, where pulleys and wooden blocks were once manufactured for local ships. Effective July 3, co-founder Alice Burdick is no longer a partner, with co-founders Jo Treggiari and Anne-Marie Sheppard remaining to run the business. None of the partners are providing reasons as to Burdick’s departure “in the interests of respecting all the parties involved.”

In an email, Treggiari and Sheppard say that the bookstore’s focus has not changed: “We are still committed to hand-picking diverse titles and fostering an inclusionary and welcoming atmosphere with attention to excellent customer service.”

The two co-owners are currently the only Block Shop staffers, but hope to hire another employee if sales pick up after the shutdown. Block Shop isn’t the only bookstore on Montague – Treggiari and Sheppard say they enjoy a supportive relationship with the two other shops on the street, Lunenburg Bound and Elisabeth Books, forming what they jokingly refer to as “The Golden Triangle.”

“We co-host the monthly Montague Street Book Club with Lunenburg Bound. When a title is out of stock, we refer our customers to the other stores and vice versa,” says Treggiari and Sheppard. “We think this makes for a satisfying browsing and shopping experience and therefore a great destination for book lovers.”