About 30 minutes north of Victoria on Vancouver Island sits Sidney, a small harbour town with an unusual claim: it's the only official 'Booktown' in Canada. The designation dates back to 1996, when independent booksellers banded together to give the downtown a literary identity, a model found in only a handful of places worldwide.

The idea is simple and genuinely pleasant: a cluster of specialist bookshops, all within a short stroll of each other, each with its own focus. A handful of long-time stores have closed over the years, but three anchors keep the tradition alive. The Haunted Bookshop on Third Street is Vancouver Island's oldest bookshop, trading since 1947, and it's the spot for out-of-print material, maps, nautical charts and collectibles. The Children's Bookshop on Beacon Avenue does exactly what its name promises, aimed at young readers and their parents. And Tanner's Books, also on Beacon, is the town's full-service general bookstore, stocking titles across more than 50 fiction and non-fiction categories and running the largest newsstand on Vancouver Island.

What makes the setup work for a day trip is that browsing here doesn't have to be the whole itinerary. Sidney sits on the water within the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ People, and the shops are minutes from the town's historic downtown and the marina. The Waterfront Walkway runs 2.5 kilometres along the shore, with views out to the Gulf Islands and, on clear days, Mount Baker in Washington State. In other words: buy a stack of used books, then find a bench and start reading them with a sea view.

For travellers, Sidney suits a particular kind of trip — a slow one. It's not a headline attraction, and that's the point. Book lovers, collectors hunting antiques and first editions, and families looking for an easy stop before or after catching the Swartz Bay ferry will all get something out of an afternoon here. It also pairs naturally with a Victoria holiday: add it as a northern day trip or a calm overnight alternative to the city.

Getting there is straightforward. Take the ferry to Swartz Bay (BC Ferries runs regular sailings from the mainland, including Tsawwassen), then drive roughly 30 minutes north to Sidney. If you're already staying in Victoria, it's an easy drive up the Saanich Peninsula — and you could tack on Butchart Gardens, which sits between the two.

A small-town day of second-hand treasures, seaside walking and ferry views? That's a very good day out in British Columbia.