Mac's Fireweed Books launched its month-long Canadian-U.S. Parity Celebration Thursday in recognition of the strong Canadian dollar and its impact on Canadian retail prices.

'We're doing what we can to help our customers,' store manager Jan Owens said this morning.

'Anything that has two prices on it, we will honour the U.S. price for our customers.'

The policy applies to all merchandise in the store that has separate prices for U.S. and Canadian consumers.

Owens said she hopes to continue selling merchandise for the lower U.S. price beyond the next month if the Canadian dollar continues to do well. It's currently trading well above $1 US.

However, Owens said, it will depend partly on the prices set by the publishers from whom she buys merchandise.

'Consumers should remember that we bought (the merchandise) at Canadian prices,' said Owens. 'We want suppliers to help eat some of this cost.

'(But) there are very few that are stepping up to the plate and helping us.'

The manager of the Coles bookstore in Whitehorse said this morning she has no control over the prices in the store.

The spokesperson at Indigo Books' head office in Toronto was unavailable for comment, the Star was told today.