Schooner Books: Rare and Regional Books in Halifax

Schooner Books Ltd. is an antiquarian and rare book shop at 5378 Inglis Street in Halifax. Founded on November 3, 1975, it began on Gottingen Street and is now run by John Townsend and Mary Lee MacDonald. The shop deals in rare, used and out-of-print books, and also offers book buying and appraisals. Its stock is especially focused on Atlantic Provinces history and literature, early Canadiana, Canadian art and military history, illustrated books, fine bindings, early children’s books and nautical subjects. The business also produces Atlantic Province History catalogues four or five times a year, which gives regular customers another way to follow its changing inventory.

The catalogue is broad rather than limited to one period or subject. Categories include Acadia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Louisbourg, Inuit and Eskimo art, Scotland, signed books, trade catalogues, the First and Second World Wars, and more. The online listings give a sense of the range and prices: a signed copy of Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia is listed at C$50, Caribou Shooting in Newfoundland at C$250, and a 1917 photograph titled View of Halifax N.S. after disaster Dec. 6th, 1917 Looking South at C$950. More substantial archival material can reach C$2,500, such as a collection of correspondence and documents connected with Major-General Charles Trollope. There are also more affordable finds, including military and regional history titles priced around C$15–C$45.

For anyone interested in Canadian military history, the World War I and World War II sections are particularly substantial, with 117 and 187 listed items respectively. The Louisbourg section includes books on the siege, colonial life and the fortress, while the New Brunswick category includes local histories, atlases, institutional records and historical documents, with 624 items listed. That mix makes the shop more suited to browsing with a specific research interest—or plenty of time—than to a quick stop for a new bestseller. The Google Maps listing shows a 4.7/5 rating from 53 reviews, although the available information does not include detailed review comments about the atmosphere or service.

Schooner Books is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, it is closed from September 4 to September 17, 2026, and is scheduled to reopen on Friday, September 18, at 10:00 a.m. Calling ahead at (902) 423-8419 is sensible if you are planning a special trip, asking about an appraisal or looking for a particular regional title. The shop can also be contacted at SchoonerBooks@SchoonerBooks.com or through its website.