Acadia Art & Rare Books Est 1931

In its more than 80-year history, the bookstore at 232 Queen Street East has seen three changes in ownership as many modifications to the store’s focus have taken place, along with the growth and maturation of the city.

Acadia Art and Rare Books its start as Jack’s Bookstore in 1931, a well-trafficked general-interest bookstore. When Asher Joram bought the space from the titular Jack in 1957, his original intention was to ditch the books and open a cigar store instead. But when he saw how well the store was doing he “just assumed the identity of a book dealer,” says Rochelle, his daughter and one of the owners of Acadia. “It became his destiny but it wasn’t really his intention to open a bookstore.”

For a while Asher carried the same stock as his predecessor — pulp fiction, comic books and harlequins — and, while the store was still called Jack’s, he assumed his name, too. But slowly Asher evolved into an antiquarian book dealer, specializing in the arctic and Canadian history and exploration.