For Ellen Helmke, a resident of St. Margaret’s Bay, owning Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee in Upper Tantallon started with a goal unrelated to books: she wanted to escape her daily city commute and make a living where she lived.
That opportunity came along in 2011, when a local bookstore was closing.
“My husband and I love books, so he was on board—though he might have felt differently if I wanted to open a shoe store,” she laughs.
Despite typical new-business challenges, there were personal benefits right away, she says: “I was now working seven minutes from home, so I had more time, I reduced my carbon footprint, and my kids could walk to the store after school.”
Otis & Clementine’s, marking its 15th birthday with a weekend-long celebration at the store on June 27 and 28, carries mostly used books in fiction, nonfiction, and for children. There are some new titles, including books by local authors. The focus is on paperbacks in good condition, especially recent releases and earlier books in popular series. Ellen spends hours every week sourcing books, and accepts books donated by community members. There are around 14,000 titles in the store.
After 15 years, Ellen says she knows what her customers want.
“Hardcover novels don’t sell,” she says. “But a lot of current paperbacks barely land on the shelf before they’re gone.”
Aside from books, the store is best known for its cats. As an adoption location with cat rescue group Spay Day, hundreds of cats have spent time—“on average, less than a week,” says Ellen—at Otis & Clementine’s, before finding their forever home.
Spanish lessons, taught by Ellen, mahjong twice a week, and occasional fun events, like trivia nights, are also on offer.
Ellen says the variety helps make Otis & Clementine’s “ a “third space—a location that isn’t home or work, where people feel welcome to just drop in, have a coffee, chat, and make connections.”
A come-from-away herself, she especially cherishes how new residents gravitate to the store.
Julianna Kun and her husband, also transplants to Nova Scotia, decided to move to the province before even visiting.
“We saw there was a used bookstore that had cats, and this was one of the first places we went,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘This would be such a fun place to be a regular.’ Then we found a home in the area, and I did become a regular. And then I thought it would be great to work here. And now I do.”
Julianna says they were first drawn by the books and cats, but the way human connections are fostered is even more special.
Regular customer Diane Day agrees.
“When you move to a new place, as I did, you have to find your people,” she says. “I can come here and have a coffee and conversations about books, I took Spanish lessons, I play mahjong, and of course there are always cats to pat. The atmosphere is just easy—it’s incredibly welcoming.”
Ellen Helmke, owner of Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee, with Seamus, the bookstore cat, who welcomes both customers and the foster cats with patience and gentleness. “He’s a gracious host,” says Ellen.
