Bookstore Spotlight: Buckshot Books (Coombs, British Columbia)

A stone’s throw from the Old Country Market in Coombs, British Columbia—where a family of goats lives on the roof of the ice cream shop—Buckshot Books is one of Vancouver Island’s hidden gems. It’s tucked away off the Alberni Highway among a grove of fir trees and unless you know where to find it, you aren’t likely to. According to owner Carol Purkis, who opened the store seventeen years ago, most patrons make their way to Buckshot by word of mouth, which if you’ve visited the store is easy to understand. It’s home to a great selection of new and used books, with an especially great selection of Canadiana and a lot of books about local history. So if you’re on your way to Coombs, the beaches of Tofino, or if you’re looking for something by local authors Carol Windley or Jack Hodgins, stop by Buckshot Books and tell Carol we said “Hello.”