A few months ago the Four Points Bookstore’s best laid plans lay scattered across an open stretch of snowy Montana grassland.
The independent bookstore is one of the newest retailers in downtown Invermere, having opened its doors in early-May. The opening was originally scheduled for earlier in the spring, with all new furniture and more than 7,000 books on the shelves. Unfortunately, in late-February, the semi truck delivering that furniture, rolled off a Montana highway, destroying all the contents. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the accident.
This made things complicated for store owners Grant and Thiloma Hofer, to say the least. Just days after the accident, thousands of books began to arrive – right on schedule – but, without any furniture, they were destined to sit in boxes until new furniture could be built and delivered.
Fortunately the replacements arrived in early-May, and a tremendous community effort helped Four Points open its doors in time for Mothers Day. “We had so much support, including friends finishing their day jobs, and joining us at the store to shelve books in the evening,” Grant told the Pioneer.
The store’s success ever since has been almost as noteworthy as its fraught opening. When the Pioneer stopped by in early-July, plenty of customers were perusing the stacks, fingering the spines of hardcovers and paperbacks stretching from storefront to back, and chatting amiably with Grant and his staff (who just as genially chatted back). Grant confirmed business has been brisk indeed.
“It’s been amazing. We meet so many wonderful people with such diverse interests” he enthused. “It’s such a joy to connect over a shared interest, or learn about something new.”
Four Points is a treasure trove for devoted literature lovers and casual readers alike: the sheer diversity of the selection is dizzying (all the more so considering the store is just 16 feet wide) and runs the gamut from local hiking guidebooks to mouthwatering cookbooks, hard-to-find historic fiction to science works, Indigenous topics, health, humour, hot-off-the-press bestsellers, old school classics and an extensive children’s section.
“It is a little bit of everything. Hopefully the best of everything,” said Grant. “We really wanted to cast a wide net to get a good understanding for what our customers are looking for. Our mandate was to really ‘grow the pie’ here in Invermere, not merely take a piece from the other great businesses in town.”
“We’re not just for adults, either. About 25 per cent of our inventory is for kids and young adults, including games and activities to keep them interested,” said Grant. Along with traditional books, Four Points has an entire bookcase devoted to graphic novels. In Grant’s view “they’re a great way for kids to develop a love of reading, and increasingly we’re seeing graphic adaptations of really great books.”
If there’s a book you want that Four Points Books doesn’t have, they are happy to bring it in (“special orders are a huge part of our business”), explained Grant, adding that Four Points has access to more than 10 million titles, and gets deliveries from major publishers every day. The entire library is available online and can be ordered on the website as well.
The store also has a great selection of stationery and unique gifts (and games) for all kinds of interests. Four Points also has greeting cards for most occasions, but they definitely tend to be a bit more cheeky and humorous.
Four Points is a family affair, and although Grant is the main one behind the business, on any given day you may find Thiloma (who also works as the executive director of the Columbia Valley Community Foundation) behind the counter, or their 14-year old son Cameron or 11-year old daughter Lauren.
The bookstore — and indeed Invermere itself — is a second act for the Hofers. The family is originally from Calgary. Grant had a career in finance, working for large international banks. Thiloma worked as an executive in the non-profit sector, and was board chair of the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary.
“I am definitely a Type A personality, and really enjoy the analytical side of business. But the valley was always the best part of our life and we’re thrilled to be building our lives here” said Grant.
The Hofers bought a home in the Columbia Valley in 2011, and began spending summers here, along with holidays, and as many other weekends as they could stuff in. In 2018 Grant left his career and spent some time as stay-at-home dad (“Which I absolutely loved,” he said), and then in 2020, the family relocated to the valley permanently.
“It’s been great. Invermere is an 11 out of 10 for our family. Everything we could want is here (especially now that we have a bookstore)!” said Grant. “In a big city like Calgary, it’s easy to get stuck in your own bubble. In a small town like Invermere, we’ve had the opportunity to get to know so many wonderful people, and everyone is helping to make this an amazing community.”
Grant explained that his career shift was a shock to many, but hasn’t come as a huge surprise to those that know him well. He grew up reading and has an insatiable interest in learning. “It’s always been a very important part of my life,” he said. “Reading allows me to learn about new things, explore new ideas and see things from someone else’s perspective. I really believe that reading changes the trajectory of your life.”
The Four Points store name, in case you are wondering, is a reference both to Four Points Mountain (just southeast of Mount Swansea) and (as the store logo indicates) to the four points of the compass, an allusion to how reading can bring you around the world with you ever leaving home.
The chalkboard in the store today reads: “Books are uniquely portable magic” – a quote from author Stephen King, but one that the Hofer family really embraces. “Reading can instantly transport you to another time or place. When you read, you see the world from a different perspective. There’s a magic to that,” said Grant. “I really believe that everyone is a reader. If you’re not hooked, you just haven’t found the right book yet.”
And hooking people on reading is a big part of Four Points’ mission, outlined Grant, adding they are keen to host author events and book clubs in the store, once the busy summer tourist season subsides.
To find out more, check out the Four Points website at fourpointsbooks.ca, call 250 341 6211 or drop by the store, right on 7th Avenue, beside Revolutions Mountain Gear.
