Sharon Jessup Joyce
When 250mm of rain fell in Nova Scotia in less than 24 hours last July, the resultant flooding claimed four lives and led to widespread and massive property damage.
One of the flooded properties was a book room located in the basement of St. Peter’s Anglican Church hall in Hackett’s Cove. Floodwaters ruined the floor, walls, furniture, bookshelves, and thousands of books.
Undaunted, the church’s small congregation quickly went into action, putting together a volunteer force that pumped out the water over a couple of days, and then put unsalvageable items in a dump bin and dry items in a storage pod.
And that was just phase one. The much bigger task was to rebuild.
Now, nearly 11 months after the flood, the St. Peter’s book room will reopen on Saturday, June 8.
The decision to rebuild was never in doubt.
Opened over 20 years ago, when the now 152-year-old church added an addition that includes a church hall and basement, the original book room was a community fixture every Saturday morning.
The gently priced books have been a modest fundraiser for the small rural church. But even more important, having the book room is, says church member and volunteer Fred Dolbel, “a valuable community resource.”
Dolbel says area residents and seasonal visitors alike frequent the book room, and have missed it since the flood. He adds that a previous mention of it in The Masthead News brought visitors from all around St. Margaret’s Bay to check out the stock.
Dolbel says, “Rebuilding the book room represents nearly a thousand hours of volunteer time.”
He notes that volunteers Timothy and Heather Oakes deserve special credit: “They researched water-resistant materials, found a contractor, and led the recovery job. And everything they found is newer, stronger, and more water-resistant, with added drainage and a pump system.”
The refurbished space is also brighter, fresher, and more appealing. Books are sorted by category, making browsing easy, and a pair of comfortable chairs offer a place to sample a page or two before buying.
The books that could be salvaged – and the bar was set high, so there are no books with any mould, mildew, or other odour – have been augmented, Dolbel says, by “recent generous donations of books, including a lot of current and sought-after titles.”
The book room even has a new name: Book Worm Haven. Local artist and refurbishment volunteer Sarah Irwin has created a charming sign that celebrates both the new name and the renewed space.
Fred Dolbel says the June 8 reopening is a celebration of a lot of good things: resilience, volunteerism, and love of reading.
“Most of all, it’s about community,” he adds. “We can’t wait to welcome back old friends and greet new ones.”
Book Worm Haven is open at St. Peter’s Church every Saturday, 9am-noon, at 10030 Peggy’s Cove Road in Hackett’s Cove.
If you would like to donate books in very good to mint condition, please stop by during those hours, or call 902-823-1085. Please don’t leave books outside the church.