Marda Loop mainstay says ongoing construction and high taxes forced it to move after 25 years

Brad Krusky remembers when Monkeyshines Children's Books used to be bustling with a steady flow of customers, most of them families.

"A lot of people would tell me later that they had these fantastic memories of going into Monkeyshines and sitting there and going through the books," Krusky said. "They had such fun memories of taking their kids there and making it a part of their upbringing."

But those days are over — in Marda Loop, at least.

"We had a really, really bad year," Krusky said. "A year and a half ago or so, the business was going down a lot and none of our costs were going down."

As one of Calgary's few independent bookstores, Monkeyshines has been a community mainstay in Marda Loop for the past 25 years. But after a year and a half of construction — part of the city's Main Streets program — and high property taxes, the shop is closing its doors and moving to Bragg Creek. 

"We live in Bragg Creek," Krusky said. "We had decided that if we were going to try and continue with operating the store, that maybe the best thing that we should do is bring it closer to home."

The goal of the Main Streets plan is to revitalize some of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, turning them into business and community hubs with an emphasis on walkability. 

Plans for Marda Loop's rejuvenation began in 2016, with construction starting in 2023. Work is expected to wrap up in 2025, turning the area into a modern, pedestrian-friendly district, allowing easy access to local shops and restaurants.

The current reality, however, seems at odds with that goal.

Construction ramps up, businesses stand still

Instead of a walkable street, temporary paths are marked off with orange cones and fences, while trucks and bulldozers line the sides of the street as construction crews tear up sidewalks and pour concrete for new ones. 

The construction has become a nightmare for businesses along 33rd and 34th avenues. For many, including Monkeyshines, it's brought business to a standstill.

"I would say from the time that we were able to reopen after COVID until we finally had to shut it down, we were probably down 75 to 80 per cent," Krusky said, referring to their sales. 

Krusky said his mother-in-law, Linda Dear, primarily runs the family-owned store and experienced firsthand the decline in customers.

"There was a lot of days where she would have no customers at all and she would go walk outside and just kind of stand there and look around," he said, adding neighbouring business owners would do the same thing.

"They'd stand outside talking to each other basically saying like, 'Where's the customers?'"

'Reputational hit to the area'

Monkeyshines isn't the only business that's been struggling, said Bob van Wegen, executive director with the Marda Loop Business Improvement Area (BIA). 

"There's no doubt that it's been challenging over the past year with all the construction in the area," van Wegen said. "Pretty much every business I'd say has been affected and many of them have seen a reduction in traffic, particularly in sort of like in normal, walk-by, drive-by traffic."

Van Wegen adds that while he is sorry to see a longtime business like Monkeyshines go, he feels the situation is not as bad as it's made out to be. He said estimates indicate they've had around 15 businesses close, whereas 18 new ones have opened within the past year.

"I think sometimes the expectation of what you think is worse than the actual experience," he said. "All businesses are accessible but … there's a reputational hit to the area."

In a statement to CBC News, city officials said they "understand that construction can be disruptive" and are working to support businesses by providing updates, financial support and "shop local" marketing campaigns.

"While the construction phase presents temporary challenges, the improvements are expected to enhance the overall appeal and functionality of the community, including increased pedestrian and vehicle accessibility, and a revitalized commercial environment," the statement says. 

"We remain committed to working with affected businesses and are focused on developing business-friendly approaches to help offset the impacts of planned construction."

A community pillar 

Krusky's family hasn't always owned Monkeyshines. He said he's primarily a pediatric dentist and happened to open an office above Monkeyshines' original location. 

At the time, Sue Hill, a retired teacher, owned the store. Krusky said having a children's bookstore right below his office created a natural partnership. 

"It was really great having a kids book store right downstairs because the kids from our office, if they did well in their appointments or if it was kind of challenging or scary … we'd tell them to go downstairs and pick out a book," Krusky said. 

Hill decided to retire around 10 years ago. Krusky said he didn't want the store close, so his family decided to buy it.

"We had a partner originally, and because she knew toys as well, we decided to make it a children's book and toy store," Krusky said.

While that partner is no longer involved, they decided to continue selling toys.

"It was more specialty stuff — stuff that you couldn't get at, you know, Toys 'R' Us or any other big stores."

Since then, Dear has run the day-to-day operation of the store, which has evolved into a community pillar, providing a hub for families and local authors.

One of them, Brenda Schurko, said that when she was searching for independent bookstores to sell her book, The Great Thundercloud, Monkeyshines instantly stood out.

"When I walked into Monkeyshines, I didn't let them know I was an author," Schurko said. "I browsed around the store and I watched Linda engage with the customers."

Schurko was impressed by how attentive Dear was with each shopper, taking the time to speak to each person and help them find what they were looking for. She said these interactions made her want to partner with the shop. 

"I went up to her and said, 'I would like to see if we could work out some sort of business relationship in you carrying my book, if you would consider having The Great Thundercloud in your store,'" Schurko said, noting she had brought about 20 of her books with her.

Dear responded by reading through the book first. Schurko said once she finished, Dear offered to take all the books he had with her and add them to their shelves.

"I hugged her, she hugged me, and it was just a beautiful moment," Schurko said. "From that moment, there was full alignment on my vision for who would carry on the book."

Schurko said it was hard to see the bookstore move, since it had become more than just a small business.

"It no longer became a bookstore, it became a touchpoint for the community," she said.

Making moves

Krusky said that despite how much the construction has hurt them, he doesn't feel the city is at fault.

"It doesn't feel like the city is to blame. I don't feel like the contractors are to blame," he said. "We just couldn't do it anymore."

The city has offered a $5,000 Main Streets Business Support Grant to help businesses make up their losses, but Krusky said it doesn't solve the issues of bringing customers in and paying the shop's property taxes.

Van Wegen said high property taxes in Marda Loop are due to the popularity of the area, and that the BIA has been exploring options to shift some of the burden to residences.

Still, Krusky said he's already seeing a difference in the volume of customers in Bragg Creek, even though they had their soft opening only last month.

"I've been watching Linda. I've been watching her interact with the customers," Krusky said. "Within five minutes of them being in the store, they're having conversations. She knows who they're buying for, what their needs are."

Dear said it's like day and night between the two locations.

"We couldn't survive with the construction," Dear said. "I was fortunate if I had three customers in five days."

Now, she's seeing customers from all over Alberta, as well as the United States — and even Scotland and New Zealand.

"It's like we're a little Banff here. It's exciting," she said.

Dear said that while it was bittersweet leaving Marda Loop after so many years in the community, Bragg Creek residents have told her how "pumped" they are to have a children's bookstore. She's even started seeing some of her regulars again.

"I've had some of my regular customers come from Calgary and shop here," she said. "I miss that. I missed the regulars."