{"id":639943,"date":"2026-05-01T03:40:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/639943\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T03:40:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:40:23","slug":"montreals-the-word-bookstore-raising-50k-to-restore-historic-buildings-facade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/639943\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal\u2019s The Word bookstore raising $50K to restore historic building\u2019s fa\u00e7ade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A cultural institution in Montreal that for decades has been a haven for book lovers, university students and anyone looking for a sanctuary from the bustling Milton-Parc neighbourhood is turning to the public for help.<\/p>\n<p>The Word \u2013 Montreal\u2019s independent second-hand bookstore that just celebrated its 50th anniversary last year \u2013 is looking to raise $50,000 to restore its fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n<p>Brick by brick, the quaint rustic building at 469 Milton Street has stood for more than 150 years now, making it one of the oldest buildings in the neighbourhood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt remembers everything,\u201d owner Brendan King-Edwards wrote in the online fundraiser. \u201cThe staircase has foot-shaped grooves worn into its steps from thousands of trips up and down carrying millions of books. A metal ring embedded in the wall recalls its origins as a stable. Its bricks were made by hand. Look closely and you\u2019ll find the occasional paw print from cats crossing them as they were drying, well over a century ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis small building has given us so much. Now it needs something back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/The-Word-6-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-481211\"  \/>The occasional cat paw cat be seen on the bricks of Montreal\u2019s The Word bookstore. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, The Word made a name for itself as a beloved fixture among readers, offering anything from fiction and biographies to philosophy and textbooks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI grew up in The Word. Literally,\u201d said King-Edwards, who runs the store founded by his parents Adrian and Luci. \u201cMy parents founded the bookstore, and our house around the corner was an extension of it, with books floor to ceiling and a steady stream of readers, writers, and collectors wandering through the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/The-Word-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-481207\"  \/>Brendan King-Edwards (left) with his parents Donna and Adrian stand outside The Word on April 30, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\n<p>The owner says the years have taken their toll, and it\u2019s more than time for a restoration of the historic fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cOne Word\u201d public fundraising campaign runs until June 14. Donations can be made <a href=\"https:\/\/fundrazr.com\/e2iI3b?ref=ab_6xBU6vVm6OR6xBU6vVm6OR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">online<\/a> or by dropping off a cheque or cash at the store. Perks are available to donors, ranging from tote bags and t-shirts to an original handmade brick from the fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/The-Word-5-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" ratio=\"16x9\" decoding=\"async\"  \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tA reader flips through a book at The Word on Milton, April 30, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A cultural institution in Montreal that for decades has been a haven for book lovers, university students and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":639944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194292],"tags":[49,48,2338],"class_list":["post-639943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-montreal","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-montreal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=639943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/639944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=639943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=639943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=639943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}