The Star is reporting that the Bloor West Village location of Book City will close, sad news that adds to the litany of recent bricks-and-mortar bookstore closures in Toronto. The article includes this interesting list of our city’s dearly departed by year:

2012 – Books for Business, off Bay St. on Adelaide St. W., in the financial district; The Book Mark, on Bloor St. W. in Etobicoke;

2011 – The Flying Dragon, children’s bookstore, Leaside.

2010 – This Ain’t the Rosedale Library.

2009 – Pages Books, Queen St. W.; David Mirvish Books, Markham St.; McNally Robinson Booksellers, Don Mills.

I would add the 2008 closure of the gem Ballenford Books, which used to grace Markham Street with an architectural counterpoint to the art books at David Mirvish’s shop. What other stores are we missing here?  As Kobo’s growth intimates the digital takeover of Toronto text industries, keeping a record of the good book spaces that have gone missing in action seems in order.