Glad Day Bookshop’s sudden crisis point surprised many, including Ward 13 Councillor Chris Moise, who had no knowledge of its struggles prior to the online call-out for help.
The Church Street shop, recognized as the world’s oldest queer bookstore, made headlines earlier this week after revealing it was in desperate need of financial help. Requesting the public’s help in fundraising $100,000 by July, Glad Day said it faced eviction after struggling to recover from post-pandemic debts and inflation.
Moise, who had frequented the shop for books and drinks in the past, said he is doing his part as a local councillor to advocate for the community hub. Exhausting a number of options over the last few days, he said he’s been in contact with Glad Day’s landlord and is even looking into the possibility of relocation.
“I don’t want to see Glad Day closed,” Moise told Now Toronto on Wednesday. “It has been a meeting place in The Village that people respect and want to see flourish.”
As of Wednesday, the beloved bookshop received about $85,000 in donations, receiving over 1,000 within the first 24 hours, according to lead owner Michael Erickson.
Likely to meet the $100,000 mark and evade the July eviction, Glad Day is also seeking to raise a total of $300,000 to comfortably stay afloat for another year. With that amount, Erickson has broken down a number of priorities they want to cover, including refreshing the store’s book selection to focus on Canadian authors, improving accessibility, and funding the overall future of Glad Day.
Erickson told Now Toronto that he’s overwhelmed with many emotions, feeling both a sense of fear and optimism, after seeing the downpour of support.
“Glad Day has touched, affected and impacted so many people over the years that it’s really even hard for us to understand the kind of echo that it has in the wider world,” Erickson said in an email statement. “Hundreds of people have donated funds, provided testimonials and offered to volunteer. The love and support is quite incredible.”
In recent years, Glad Day has expanded beyond selling books, sourcing revenue through alcohol sales and holding events such as drag brunches, burlesque nights and open mic nights.
Erickson says the store has also become a safe space for those in crisis, newcomers and refugees, offering referrals to victim support services, community housing and tourist services.
Resources like these make Glad Day an important staple in The Village community that’s worth saving, Erickson emphasized.
“Toronto has a lot of unique cultural gems that we take for granted and I think Glad Day is one of those places. There is nowhere else in the world like Glad Day,” he said. “A lot of people kind of assume that we’ll always be here, and it’s important for people to know that it does require support to stay open and stay functioning.”
Erickson also hopes that going forward, the city recognizes the importance of having hubs like Glad Day for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and that it will do its part in sustaining these culturally diverse spaces.
“I think Toronto needs to work more quickly on figuring out how we keep these important hybrid spaces open for the communities that need them. There are many arts-based, culture-based community-based spaces that function as hybrid models,” Erickson explained. “We need to figure out ways that those places can survive as rent, insurance and property taxes increase.
