Bookstore closes

The diocese of Ottawa in August closed its Canterbury House Bookstore, which had been losing money for several years, incurring an immediate writeoff of $231,000 representing forgiveness of past debts.

The total cost to the diocese of the closing will be about half a million dollars, said Alan Fowler, honorary treasurer and a member of the administration and finance committee.

However, the bookstore will not die completely, as the diocese signed an agreement to merge its operations with the bookstore at Saint Paul University, a Roman Catholic, Ottawa-based university. Canterbury House’s manager, Dan McCormick, was hired as assistant manager at the university store and the name “Canterbury House” will be displayed prominently.