Canada's largest book store chain could be moving into Whitehorse in November.

According to information published on the Indigo Books and Music Inc. website, a Coles bookstore, a division of the company, will be 'opening in November 2005' somewhere in the city.

The company also advertised in the Star's Friday edition for a manger for its new Whitehorse store.

Sorya Gaulin, Indigo's director of public relations, said today the multimillion-dollar corporation had fully intended to open its store in November but due to recent 'development issues,' she could not confirm the opening of a Whitehorse store with 100-per-cent certainty.

'We have run into some development issues at this stage. It would be premature to say at this point that a store is opening,' Gaulin said.

The city's senior planner, Mike Gau, said he has not heard any information about a possible store. His department has not issued a development permit to the corporation, which likely meant that if the store did come, it would be going into a location that is currently zoned for retail use.

'We haven't issued a permit,' Gau said.

Bylaw officials said that they were unaware of the corporation's plans and have not issued a business licence at this point.

The owner of Mac's Fireweed, Chris Sorg, said today he has been preparing for the chain's move for more than a decade and was ready for the competition.

'We've been anticipating them coming to town for at least the last 10 years; it comes as no surprise whatsoever. Am I overly concerned about it? No. Let's have at 'er,' Sorg said.

He said he couldn't speculate as to where the store would be located but hopes it would establish itself in the city's downtown core.

'I'd like to see them go to the downtown core to support our downtown,' he said.

Sorg said in preparation for competition against big business competition, he has been expanding his businesses and is not solely reliant on his bookstore for financial survival.

'We have three stores downtown and three in Dawson, so we're not completely dependent on (Mac's Fireweed) to the degree that we used to be.

'We've diversified; that's one of the ways that we've been preparing.'

He said he has faced similar challenges with the emergence of Internet stores such as Amazon.com over the last decade but his business has only increased.

'All of these things have happened and we sell 35 per cent more in books than we did in 1995. I think there's a degree of loyalty (with Mac's Fireweed customers),' Sorg said.

Indigo Books and Music Inc. is Canada's largest book retailer with, according to the company's financial statements, assets totalling nearly $400 million, including $10 million in cash.

The company operates under a variety of names including Indigo Books and Music Inc., Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore and Coles and is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.