This is the result of big-box chains

Were you planning to attend Canada's annual book fair/publisher's trade show? Well, it's likely you won't be going.

This recent CBC report indicates that both the national BookExpo and the Toronto Book Fair have been canceled.

These shows, normally targeted at large and small booksellers, have been cancelled after three of four major publishing houses withdrew from the show. The article cites Canada's largest bookstore chain as the reason behind the withdrawals, since there are fewer and fewer independent booksellers to target.

This G&M report confirms the cancellation, but make no mention of the rationale other than the aforementioned withdrawal of certain publishers.