The Papery is back in full swing at its original location in the Glebe, nearly two years after a fire forced it to close.
The December 2022 fire not only left the card and gift shop’s space at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Bank Street unusable, but also displaced residents in apartments above. Considered a staple of the neighbourhood since it opened in 1986, The Papery opened a pop-up shop on the second floor of a building nearby to maintain its connection with the community.
“The pop-up, to me, was very much a sanctuary,” said assistant manager Sean Everett, who has been with The Papery for 26 years. “We were tucked away, we knew that, but I think it gave us time to rebuild our strengths.”
The Papery specializes in unique paper products, gift items and writing utensils, celebrating what it calls “the beauty of social stationery and all the delightful paper touches that make life a little more magical.” Everett designs the displays customers see in the windows.
The Papery’s pop-up shop at 858 Bank St. had an impact on the customer-base, said Everett.
“We could still be open for business. We knew we weren’t on the street and we weren’t going to have the same kind of foot traffic, but we knew we would still be there for the people who needed us. That was, for me, hugely healing,” Everett told Capital Current.
After being given the green light to return to 850 Bank St., The Papery staff had a lot of work to do, according to Everett.
“In the space of two months, being able to see the progress is amazing. In the beginning, we didn’t even have proper lighting. I can still see all the little finishing details, but it seems customers are just happy to be back,” he said.
While staff has been rebuilding their shop, the store’s return has been meaningful for many in the Glebe. “It’s a perfect time of year for them to be back: in time for their Christmas cards and gifts. It’s always a great time to pay them a visit,” long-time customer and Glebe resident, Basia Vanderveen, told Capital Current.
Vanderveen has seen other businesses come and go. The Papery, she said, has been a mainstay.
“It’s one of the staples. Not too many businesses have stayed the duration like they have. With rent going up, not every business survives.
“The Papery is such a warm and inviting shop; it’s just such a nice place to have in our neighbourhood that’s been a constant.”
The return is also significant for other local businesses.
“If I’m in a pinch and I need some kind of card or gift on the fly, I always think of them,” Stephane Sauvé, owner of The Glebe Meat Market and chair of the Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA), said.
“When I shop, I’m always about keeping it local versus corporate. When you give your money to a local spot like The Papery, it doesn’t just help them, it helps the whole community.”
Sauvé says each business plays a role in bringing people in, and when one thrives, it helps everyone.
“There are destination shops like The Papery and ourselves, and people come from all over the city just to shop there. Then, they might stop in here and that helps me,” Sauvé said.
As The Papery settles into its original location, it is focused on improving the experience for its customers day by day. As Everett put it: “How do we be creative, how do we go high, how do we get lots of stuff in here and still make it really shopable?”
