About 280 neighbors passed 7,400 books down an Ottawa sidewalk

About 280 people stood on a Hintonburg sidewalk on October 10 and passed books, hand to hand, into The Spaniel's Tale's new shop. CBC News reported on October 11, 2026, that co-owner Cole Davidson had not planned a book brigade until customers kept bringing him stories of other stores that had moved that way.

Staff made two lines down Wellington Street West, from the old corner at Carruthers Avenue to the new corner at Stirling Avenue. Depending on which line you measured, the chain was about 80 or 90 metres. It started around noon and ran until about 2:30 p.m. Davidson's count was about 280 volunteers and more than 7,400 books in two and a half hours. One advantage, he said, was that the books arrived in alphabetical order. One intersection was closed so the line could reach the new front steps. When someone stepped out, the others stretched to keep the books moving.

The new shop, at 1109 Wellington Street West, is more than twice the size of the old one. Davidson said that means more signings and more room for events. The brigade did not move every book. The rest were going over during the week, ahead of a grand opening on October 17.