Events & Workshops

New Year, New Bookshop for Regina.

The Black Bird Commons has launched a Kickstarter Campaign.

The Black Bird Commons will be a place to mingle and mix and be yourself: discover new books; meet friends; browse quietly; sip tea; listen to poetry; make art; attend bookbinding, beading and all types of crafting/artistic workshops; or just be.

A bookshop, yes — but will also be a communal hub
A creative commons.
A gathering place.
An inclusive home for writers and makers in all mediums and from all backgrounds.

We found a storefront that, from the looks of things, might be perfect. It's in a decent area--two blocks from The Everyday Kitchen (my sister's shop); half a block from the Dewdney strip. It is big enough to accommodate most of what we'd like to do. It has a semi-soundproof room we'd use for workshops and other events; It has a built-in workshop area, which I'd use for bookbinding and other crafts. It has a front area big enough for a welcoming sitting area, a stage, and plenty of room for Bookshelves (maybe shoulda put that first). It is also theoretically affordable for a small business like ours.

We still need help, though. We have been working hard, trying to get an operating reserve set up (and growing). We've done a few pop-up markets (in the tradition of the very first book-sellers!), and we've had 2 events at The Everyday Kitchen (which has graciously allowed us to use their space for the purpose). The Adult Only Sk-o-Lastic Book Fair was wildly successful--nearly 500 people showed up--while the Christmas Craft night was next to a bust. Either way, the events shall go on! We've been working away on our crafts, ordering small numbers of books, trying to get orders filled for the few who have requested books, etc. Chantelle's working away at social services, and I'm runnin' around the library, taking as many extra shifts as possible.

The point is: We're working hard to get this thing up and running.

As everyone knows, though, right now is not the easiest time to try to build a "nest egg." As hard as it feels like we're working, as busy as it seems our lives have become, as much as it feels like we're gaining momentum . . . our nest egg is pretty small, more like a sparrow's egg than the XL eggs you find at the grocery. 

In fact, we had what we thought was a near-finalized offer to lease on one location in downtown Regina. We had already started planning to move in for October, a few months ago, but after a series of back-and-forths, the mammoth building operations corp that owns the place eventually decided we were too risky, based mostly on the business accounts less than impressive numbers. Their numbers don't show a number of things that don't show up on financial statements, tho: things like a BookTok community of 55,000 followers who've been following our book reviews, book restoration projects, and vision for this space and our work; hundreds of people at our pop-up events; those conversations with dozens of Reginans who keep asking "when can we visit the shop?" The demand is there - we just need the initial capital to prove it. 
 

This is where the Kickstarter comes in: 

We're raising $30K to cover lease security, initial inventory, and accessibility improvements that will let us make a solid lease proposal by Spring 2026.

We are excited to say that all of the rewards here will be Kickstarter-exclusive designs and rewards. Once the campaign ends, they will no longer be offered in these specific iterations. This means that in addition to helping to get The Black Bird Commons off the ground, you’ll have some real, deadly art that no one else has.