'The end of one page of my life': owner of Nerman's Books closing up shop
Shelves once filled with floor-to-ceiling books now sit empty as the owner of a beloved bookstore in South Osborne prepares to turn the page and start a new chapter in his life.
It's the end of an era for Gary Nerman, who has been running Nerman's Books and Collectibles on Osborne Street for about three decades.
"It was time to sell the store and retire," Nerman told CTV News. "It is the end of one page of my life. I feel quite good about moving on to something new."
Nerman's bookstore started as a hobby when he began with mail-order books out of his basement in the late 1980s. In the years since, his shop has grown into one of the largest used bookstores in the area and a staple in the community.
CTV News previously reported in December 2022 that Nerman would be closing his store and selling off his books. He said since that news, there has been a big response in the community.
"It has been really unbelievable and quite gratifying. We've had literally hundreds of people come down and tell us their stories about the bookstore," he said. "One couple actually had their first date here and they are now married, if you can believe that."
The store officially closed last weekend, but Nerman said he was still left with stacks upon stacks of books and magazines.
"I know that if I keep the books, I'm just going to put them in my garage and they are going to get mouldy and turn into garbage. So I decided to give the books away," he said.
So, this Thursday and Friday, Nerman said anyone who wants to stop by the store will get free books.
"They can take one book, they can take hundreds of books."
He said there are still about 15,000 to 20,000 books and magazines left at the store.
The items available include some treasures he hasn't seen in nearly 20 years, like a box of Beatles magazines he bought in the 90s that a customer rediscovered in the store.
While Nerman is retiring, he said he may still deal in comic books and antiques – something he has been doing his whole life.
"Really, I'm quite happy about it. I'm happy that it went well and I'm looking forward to the future."
-with files from CTV's Kayla Rosen
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.