Anyone who has flown to Victoria or gone there by ferry via the Swartz Bay terminal has driven past Sidney, known locally as Sidney-by-the-Sea. Few turn in, though. The fast-food restaurants and big-box stores at the mouth of the town don’t do much to lure you off Hwy. 17. But those who take the exit ramp will discover a charming town, a mix of British seaside and Pacific Northwest community engagement.
Last year, I was based in Sidney while exploring the surrounding Saanich Peninsula’s emerging foodie culture — nascent vineyards and cideries, family enterprises making handcrafted gin and raw chocolate. But I was also pleasantly surprised to discover Sidney’s other angle: Inspired by Hay-on-Wye, the medieval Welsh town known for its many secondhand and antiquarian bookstores, Sidney, population 11,000, is a bibliophile’s paradise — with no fewer than 12 independent specialty bookstores. There are rare, collectible and bargain books, with topics ranging from military history to gardening. And, yes, there are enough Stieg Larssons to go around.
Since then, I have been wanting to return and get lost in these shops, perhaps even discuss a book or two over oyster burgers with some literary pals.
Indeed, Sidney seemed like the perfect place for a book club getaway. There is a new hotel, the Sidney Pier, a sleek seaside property with a restaurant that serves inspired local food and enough local colour for any bibliophile: Kenny Podmore, the concierge, also doubles as the Town Crier, and Dave, a black lab (who flunked out of seeing-eye-dog school), acts as a guest greeter. They even have a “Book Butler.”
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