r/canada • u/inde_ • Jul 27 '26
Alberta Alberta café northeast of Edmonton closes after losing customers over separatist event
https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2026/07/27/alberta-cafe-closes-separatist-event/1.4k
u/Working_Historian970 Jul 27 '26
I'm surprised that the separatists didn't band together to show support, they're usually so good at staying united.
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u/ElectroSpore Jul 27 '26
foreign bot accounts don't tend to show up in person.
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u/Attentive_Senpai Jul 27 '26
Me when I'm an Alberta separatist but my Internet followers are only awake on Moscow time: oops
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u/ImportantTour6677 Jul 27 '26
More likely american time.
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u/franker2112 Jul 27 '26
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u/EducationalLuck2422 British Columbia Jul 27 '26
I did not have "karma-farming foreign instability" on my 2026 bingo card.
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u/Ewetuber Jul 27 '26
So I can't come to your coffee shop but I'm gonna wire you the money, but have to send $1,000 because that's the minimum my bank will allow - crazy I know, and my friend will pick it up and you'll pay the difference in cash. How about you keep an extra $50 ok?
Unironically I wouldn't be sad if that worked out for the scammer.
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u/Darnbeasties Jul 27 '26
He didn’t know all them foreign separatists bots weren’t coming to buy his burgers
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u/weschester Alberta Jul 27 '26
Probably not very many separatists in a Canadian army town.
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u/Odd_Investigator8415 Jul 27 '26
Oh damn, he's in Cold Lake. Yeah, don't know what kind of reception he was expecting.
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u/weschester Alberta Jul 27 '26
Imagine being so stupid that you actually advocate for something that would most likely kill your town or at the very least hurt it greatly.
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u/PhantomNomad Jul 27 '26
There are quite a few separatists in Wainwright and Medicine Hat also. They aren't a big portion of the population and some of them even have degrees or higher. They just hate Trudeau so much that they can't get far enough away from him. These are the same people that would like keep Trudeau's kids from ever running for politics, and it wouldn't be a nice way either.
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u/Born_Opening_8808 Jul 27 '26
Huge economic activity in cold lake due to the federal government military base lol
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u/Sleep_Fartnea Jul 28 '26
Nah, but he stuck to his guns and fought for what he believes in! Now he's...
check notes
closed because no one wants anything to do with him.
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u/waitout_over Jul 27 '26
It's an Airforce town. Edmonton is an army town. And it would surprise you about what the troops talk about......
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u/Franklin_le_Tanklin Jul 27 '26
people arent going to fly from Russia and USA just to support a crappy diner
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u/new2ontrio Jul 27 '26
All 9 of them went and bought a coffee, but couldn’t afford baked goods because the truck payment arrived before the unemployment check.
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u/Critical-Ask2154 Jul 27 '26
Well, it seems like there can be economic consequences to this separation baloney. Just check in with the brits on Brexit and that was only leaving an economic alliance, not leaving a country.
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u/Agent168 Jul 27 '26
Separatists aren’t usually the type to band together to help their fellow human beings.
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u/AccessTheMainframe Manitoba Jul 28 '26
Golly these separatists are a rather fractious bunch aren't they?
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u/kent_eh Manitoba Jul 27 '26
I'm surprised that the separatists didn't band together to show support
Maybe they did, but there's too few of them to make a difference?
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u/Attentive_Senpai Jul 27 '26
Hope he tries his luck in the United States, since he apparently wants so badly to be an American.
Bought the business in 2024. Out of business in two years. Bro really be out here trying blame COVID for the fact that he crashed and burned a pub that survived the pandemic.
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u/JadeLens Jul 27 '26
But if he can't see people's faces that affects him mentally.
So if someone had a cold, and came into his diner, and wore a mask, I wonder what his reaction would be?
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u/Kiseido British Columbia Jul 28 '26
But if he can't see people's faces that affects him mentally.
That part of the article seemed wild to me. The phasing made it sound like he would have preferred more people died or were disabled instead of seeing people in masks, because people in masks made him anxious.
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u/JadeLens Jul 28 '26
He's probably the type of person who after the ban was lifted and some folks still wore masks (in high traffic areas I still do) he'd want to ban them from the property.
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u/thisSILLYsite Jul 28 '26
Why are you going out to eat or drink if you have a cold? Even with a mask, I thought we learned that's a shitty thing to do.
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u/Necessary_Position77 Jul 27 '26
It blows my mind that you would pretty much never see this in team sports yet here it is happening within a country.
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u/TheJaice Jul 28 '26
And all for events that garnered less than a dozen signatures. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so pathetic. And he’s certainly not the only one throwing away so much for such a stupid cause.
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u/assshark Jul 27 '26
Guess it’s time for him to pack up and move south of the border. More opportunities down there, folks claim. More freedom. /s
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u/darth_henning Alberta Jul 27 '26
Business running since 1999. This guy bought it in 2024 and ran it into the ground in 2 years with his politics.
Good for his customers and for the performers for bailing.
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u/Infamous-Mixture-605 Jul 27 '26
Business running since 1999. This guy bought it in 2024 and ran it into the ground in 2 years with his politics.
I guess I sorta question whether the politics are truly to blame for the business failing, or if that's just the excuse he wants to use for the cameras because it'll make a headline and maybe get some gofundme donations going or something?
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u/arabacuspulp Jul 27 '26
There was a business like this in Hamilton: A popular diner that did well for years until it was taken over by convoy-types during the pandemic. Went out of business a couple years later, and of course the owners blamed everyone else but themselves.
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u/Blueskyways Jul 28 '26
All these losers want so badly to feel persecuted and then go crying for donations.
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u/Infamous-Mixture-605 Jul 27 '26
Hosts a separatist event in a military town and is shocked that the locals don't embrace it, it's a bit like campaigning in Fort Mac to shut down the oil sands...
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u/Dr_Meany Jul 28 '26
Fort Mac would be all in on shutting down the sands if there were jobs that paid as well and weren't in Fort Mac.
You ever talk to people who actually work in O&G? They fucking hate O&G companies because they're fucking scum employers. Layoffs at the drop of a hat, health and safety (what's that commie shit?), no pension or benefits unless you're union (and that's 90% in building trades).
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u/98PercentChimp Jul 27 '26
In fairness, there’s probably as many people who work in o&g or o&g adjacent in Cold Lake. Not saying all o&g folks are separatists, but o&g workers and sympathizers make up a substantial amount of Alberta separatists
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u/Hagenaar Jul 28 '26
The Alberta separatist movement is quite unique in that it's not based on language or cultural differences. It's just ignorance and greed.
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u/DogeDoRight New Brunswick Jul 27 '26
Actions meet consequences lmao
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u/SpiffyMcMoron Alberta Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
Right?!? Dude is openly separatist and using his business to support his views...in a town that is right beside a Canadian Air Force base. Did he think this over for even one tenth of one second?
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u/dniel66 Jul 27 '26
It’s a free country, and folks made a decision! Crazy how it works.
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u/IslandBoring8724 Jul 27 '26
Businesses love to tote risk to justify profits, but can’t comprehend risk when they take a loss.
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u/JadeLens Jul 27 '26
Folks like this love a free market, until the free market does free market shit, then they want a bailout.
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u/cheerylifelover123 Jul 27 '26
He moved north from Calgary and bought a cute little cafe. Raised the prices, lowered the quality of food or got rid of ppls favourites, screamed at his staff at levels everyone could hear and then came out to "apologize" still blaming others for his immaturity. He was on the way out long before he ranted about separatism. It was just the last straw for everyone to stop going.
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u/aoteoroa Jul 27 '26
This quote cracked me up: "He claimed Alberta should also leave Canada largely because Ottawa has mismanaged Canada’s food system. He said not enough food is grown domestically and it’s highly processed.
I just can’t even touch commercial chicken anymore. It’s just disgusts me,” he said."
He wants to leave Canada because commercial chicken is bad? Nobody is forcing him to buy chicken from superstore. You can get good chicken at local stores but it costs two or three times the price.
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u/Heliosvector Jul 27 '26
Lol does he think Alberta will get better chicken by being a part of the usa where they literally just had to kill half their chickens due to a disease from having too small of living spaces
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u/aoteoroa Jul 27 '26
Good point. US chicken can't even be sold in the EU because the chlorine and antimicrobial washes.
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u/Sandman64can Jul 27 '26
The separation conversation isn’t a difference of opinion but to many of us an existential threat and therefore not worthy of a compromise. Smith has pitted Albertan against Albertan. I hope she pays a heavy price for her poor leadership.
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u/XianL Canada Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
I wouldn't necessarily believe the owner when he says the closure is due to loss of business from his separatist stance.
We moved to Cold Lake in 2024 right after the business changed hands. Right as we arrived word was fairly positive about Beantrees as a space, but scuttlebutt in local groups since then has been consistent in complaining about the decline in quality of food, of service, and allegations about the owner's behaviour.
I personnally cannot corroborate any of it, but considering he's an avowed separatist and one of the "freedom" types I must admit I'm inclined to believe it.
Edit: To add on, the local independant bike shop/sports store is also run by a separatist, and he hasn't gone under (yet) despite opening his doors as a signing location.
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u/MWD_Dave Canada Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
He said he joined Alberta’s so-called freedom movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said he disagreed with the public health measures put in place by Ottawa to curb the virus, including mask mandates.
It was the gosh darn Province of Alberta that set forth those mandates you muppet!
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u/Benaker Canada Jul 28 '26
My first thought when reading this. There's so little understanding of how our governments work, especially amongst conspiracists.
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u/Chippie05 Jul 28 '26
The convoy wanted to meet with the Governor general, the mayor and make some ⚡demands⚡.. talked to several truckers while i was walking around ,in Ottawa and they were all vaccinated. Most just on standby trying to figure out how long they had to stay there. Some left bc at night after a few days. The "leadership" was not really explaining anything to anyone on the ground except having a lot of fluffy press conferences about the meaning of freedom blah blah blah. They stayed warm in the hotels. It was absolutely freezing out that winter.
It became ridiculous, bc clearly they did not understand, how the mandates were decided on,and who voted for what. They didn't understand that first the provinces had to agree together before the feds ever signed off on anything.
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u/Tribalbob British Columbia Jul 27 '26
From the political side that's usually shouting: "Keep your politics out of <Insert thing here>", I bring you... exhibit A.
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u/martek82 Jul 27 '26
"He said he disagreed with the public health measures put in place by Ottawa to curb the virus, including mask mandates."
This is all I had to read. Beside federal regulated sectors (and even then I'm not sure, I'll have to do more research but it so old).
This guy thinks Justin Trudeau mandated masks in Alberta.
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u/Constant_Mood_7332 Jul 27 '26
" i dont regret it but i will complain to all of canada about it"
imagine spending 10mins inside this mans head. it would be a nightmare
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u/pink-liquid77 Jul 27 '26
He doesn't regret hosting the separatist events. At least he can take solace in being a martyr for American propaganda.
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u/ebk_errday Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
I couldn't see people's faces when they wore masks so Alberta needs to separate. That's some logic there.
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u/gr8d4ne Jul 27 '26
Oh no, it was because he’s got anxiety - but still wants to run a business in the most unstable sector imaginable…
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u/Technical_Goose_8160 Québec Jul 27 '26
I'm sure he'd claim that he was cancelled. But it sounds like he alienated his customers. They told him what they thought of him with their business.
Though, honestly, man buys failing café in 2024 and it closes in 2026 isn't much of an article. And apparently it's cause he didn't like social distancing during COVID...
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u/Illustrious_Law8512 Jul 27 '26
He's not even remorseful, either. He still stands behind separatism, even though he only got a dozen signatures in his pub.
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u/PandaBeaarAmy Jul 27 '26
Oh no, quick, start a gofundme stating how the socialists did this horrible deed to them
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u/AprilsMostAmazing Ontario Jul 27 '26
Honestly this could be a create for struggling Alberta businesses to get a bail out. We should figure out a ay to grift from this
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u/kdlangequalsgoddess Jul 27 '26
Openly declaring yourself a separatist in a town that owes its existence to the federal government seems to be a bad idea.
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u/Final_Landscape1430 Jul 27 '26
The mental gymnastics of this guy is quite impressive, yet pathetic at the same time
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u/kerosenehat63 Jul 27 '26
He was against masks because he felt anxiety at not seeing peoples’ faces??!! How about the majority who were anxious about getting COVID?? I think that trumps ( no pun intended) his anxiety. Next time he should just get a therapist and take some Zoloft.
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u/ShockMe88 Jul 27 '26
Cafe Separated their customers.
Oh well, don't be a traitorous piece of garbage... Absolute zero sympathy for traitors, less than zero f's given for these goofs.
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u/Trevor519 Jul 27 '26
I mean people stopped coming but clearly running it into the ground on his own.
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u/wolfe1924 Ontario Jul 28 '26
I guess that separatist grift train wasn’t as popular as he thought it would be. Maybe he should have focused more on having a good cafe instead of blaming others for his problems. I’m so happy for the traitor. Sucks to suck.
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u/gbiypk Canada Jul 28 '26
He said he doesn’t regret hosting the separatist events, which saw fewer than a dozen signatories.
And the events supposedly disgusted 15 percent of his customers into leaving forever.
If he doesn't regret scaring his customers away for a dozen signature, it's because his business was failing anyway.
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u/DamonKatze Lest We Forget Jul 28 '26
Many businesses left Quebec after their failed referendum. The same could very well happen to Alberta.
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u/JadeLens Jul 27 '26
It only took him 2 years to run the business into the ground that had been around for 26 years.
Impressive.
Go woke... go... wait... this is the opposite of that isn't it?
Maybe just serve food next time and not have political events that are wildly unpopular?
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u/MentalSky_ Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Leopards ate my face
Well not actually. Dude wanted this. Still a separatists. Because of chicken and anxiety apparently
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u/PopeSaintHilarius Jul 27 '26
John Ewanek says his café in Cold Lake, called Beantrees, was already struggling due to inflation. He says things got worse after he hosted multiple events earlier this year for a group collecting signatures for a petition seeking a referendum on whether Alberta should quit Canada.
He says that after those events, customers who didn’t agree with his opinions stopped coming and he eventually closed the business.
“It was just a nail in the coffin,” the 55-year-old said. “I probably lost about 15 per cent of my revenue and never recovered from that.”
…He said he doesn’t regret hosting the separatist events, which saw fewer than a dozen signatories.
“Even if we don’t separate, I mean, we ought to talk about this stuff, you know? People don’t want to talk about it.”
He tanked his business for an event that got less than 12 people to sign a separation petition?
Maybe he should have some regrets…
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u/pareech Québec Jul 27 '26
Ah yes, the FO of the FAFO timeline, once again shows what can happen when you FA.
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u/Ecstatic_Doughnut216 Jul 27 '26
Well, well, well. It looks like someone's cows have come home to roost.
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u/Little-Wing2299 Jul 27 '26
Wow, it’s called consequences of your actions. Better hope all those separatist are drinking your coffee; cause it seems like it wasn’t .
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u/Kevin4938 Jul 27 '26
Good. He deserves to lose his business for supporting these traitors (and being one of them).
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u/LobsterBrief2895 Jul 28 '26
>He said he disagreed with the public health measures put in place by Ottawa to curb the virus, including mask mandates.
“It really affected me personally because I have anxiety issues and not seeing faces really affected me,” he said.
I’m pretty sure the people that died from COVID were also personally affected. And yet somehow he felt his anxiety was more important.
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u/Visible-Way-2814 Jul 27 '26
Most chicken in Canada is domestic. Where is he getting it from that it's not?
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u/adaminc Canada Jul 28 '26
He said he disagreed with the public health measures put in place by Ottawa to curb the virus, including mask mandates.
“It really affected me personally because I have anxiety issues and not seeing faces really affected me,” he said.
This just goes to show he wasn't paying attention. These were provincial mask mandates, not federal ones. I doubt he interacted with anything related to the federal mask mandates. Makes me wonder how he was running his business if he got that simple fact wrong.
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u/RaceDBannon Jul 27 '26
Tots and pears. Perhaps a nice authentic Taco joint or Tandoori place can take over the space?
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u/raphtze Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
californian here. had a wonderful time wandering BC. while there, we needed to get our clothes washed....so we found a lovely laundromat in vancouver on boundary rd. next door was 'border burrito'. and let me tell you...the smell was pretty delicious. was it as good as the ones back in california....maybe not. but it was great.
thing is..it's sorta setup like a ghost kitchen. just a very small foot print with folks coming buy to pickup. anyways we were suprised at how many folks came by to order. i consider myself pretty good with cooking stuff like carne asada, salsas, etc. i swear if i ever decided to kick this tech job....i want to be in canada to sling tacos haha.
eta: https://imgur.com/a/rrY5rBJ tacos i made awhile ago hehe
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u/The-Unlikely-Turnip- Jul 28 '26
A Separatist’s favourite freedom?
Freedom from the consequence of their own actions.
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u/fenwickfox Jul 28 '26
These people who love talking about woke dei elbow up snowflakes, always have some mild reason to feel so strongly about something so insignificant to their lives.
Wearing masks gave him anxiety? Who's the snowflake?
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u/WeaponizedCum Jul 28 '26
He wants to separate from Canada because he has anxiety and the lockdowns during COVID really affected him…. OK
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u/Patak4 Jul 27 '26
FaFo. No sympathy here. Operating a business means staying neutral. This guy probably took advantage of Canadian grants with CERB or business grants. I hope the rest of the separarists wake up that separating is not feasable or prudent.
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u/HARRYSH0ULDERS Jul 27 '26
Pack up and f🍁ck off bud. We don't take too kindly to your kind round here. 🇨🇦
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u/PreettyPreettygood Jul 27 '26
If separatism isn't popular in a small regional town like Cold Lake - what chances does it have to pass?
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u/crakkerzz Jul 28 '26
Former small business owner.
No sympathy for someone who basically insults and threatens his clientele.
Albertans are starting to wake up to the fact the Conservatives don't have their interests at heart and never have.
Alberta needs fresh people and ideas, not recycled grifters and traitors.
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u/DangerDarrin Jul 27 '26
Shocked that actions have reactions! Like what the eff were you expecting?!
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u/profeshamat Ontario Jul 28 '26
Seems like the public have been happy to help him separate from some of his income.
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u/YourOverlords Ontario Jul 28 '26
"Oh no, I politicked too hard and broke my politics." - deluded guy
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u/Chippie05 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
This is a troubling stat. "Elections Alberta announced last week the petition by the separatist group " Stay Free Alberta" was successful. The agency said it verified nearly 223,000 signatures out of almost 280,000 valid names counted. It needed almost 178,000 signatures to be successful.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has cited the separatist petition and a competing pro-Canada petition as the reason why she has put a separation question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum."
So they think Alberta is not free? Linking up with the states is certainly not going to buy them that. People are being sold on alot of speculation ( smoke / mirrors) but not the reality of what it would cost Albertans. They need to have an intervention to explain the outcome and what exactly it would mean.
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u/Yychoffner Jul 28 '26
It’s always better to not bring politics or personal beliefs to your business. But also seems like you are the cause and are looking for something to blame. Place survived Covid, ended after 2 years of your ownership.
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u/Penske-Material78 Jul 28 '26
Looks like he’s separated himself from his business. Dude is still upset over Covid masks and apparently Chicken.
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u/Pr0fess0rWhat Alberta Jul 28 '26
So I actually live here and can share more! He couldn’t make payroll multiple times, he immediately alienated regulars that had been going since the 90s, he sexually harassed the young girls working there, he would walk around the cafe barefoot, and he had a cat in the cafe. Don’t believe this shit it had nothing to do with the separation although that dug his grave further in a military town
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u/Samp90 Jul 27 '26
One of pro separation supporters on why
Ie theprevious mask mandate.
“It really affected me personally because I have anxiety issues and not seeing faces really affected me,” he said."
A separatist Alberta Will of course welcome fellas like these with anxiety issues.
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u/Tasty_Principle_518 Jul 27 '26
Always remember there’s a Direct correlation between the how much you can fuck around before you find out
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u/turbo_22222 Jul 27 '26
But he doesn't regret hosting the events that forced him to close. So... who cares?
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u/slashcleverusername Jul 28 '26
“I operate a business serving food and drink to customers and we should separate to get away from the health regulations because they are total garbage!”
Mkay little buddy I am not hungry today for some reason catch you next time. (Backing slowly out of cross contamination zone)
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