{"id":604650,"date":"2026-04-15T01:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T01:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/604650\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T01:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T01:37:08","slug":"airdrie-restaurant-facing-backlash-over-mmiwg-posts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/604650\/","title":{"rendered":"Airdrie restaurant facing backlash over MMIWG posts"},"content":{"rendered":"

A long\u2011standing local restaurant chain in the Calgary-area is under fire after posts online appeared to mock Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s Pizza, a business operating in Airdrie since 1995 with additional Calgary locations, posted a message on its official Facebook page last week promoting half-price deals on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut full price for members of the MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+, so that they can feel special in our safe space,\u201d the post went on to read.<\/p>\n

When a Facebook user questioned the reference to MMIWG, the restaurant\u2019s account replied, saying, \u201cIf they are missing and murdered, then unfortunately, they aren\u2019t getting any special pricing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week\u2019s now-deleted Facebook post and subsequent reply sparked outrage from many online, including calls for accountability, and an online petition demanding action from the City of Airdrie.<\/p>\n

Some residents interviewed by CityNews on Tuesday expressed indifference, saying online comments wouldn\u2019t influence their dining choices. Others emphasized the importance of free speech, even when they disagreed with the content.<\/p>\n

But Airdrie Mayor Heather Spearman took a firm stance in the days following, posting a public statement, writing that the issue touches on \u201creal people, real families, and real communities living with unimaginable grief and loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not about politics or labels,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAirdrie is a community built on care, respect, and looking out for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

The restaurant owner has followed up with posts claiming he was unaware of what \u201cMMIWG\u201d meant and that he was attempting to make jokes criticizing the 2SLGBTQIA+ acronym and terminology.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, I don\u2019t support Indigenous women (or any woman) being murdered,\u201d reads a post from the restaurant. \u201cMy dig is at the alphabet community.\u201d<\/p>\n

An online petition has since emerged, arguing that the restaurant\u2019s posts \u201cpromote harmful, hateful, and divisive stereotypes\u201d and urging the city to review Paul\u2019s Pizza\u2019s business licence under community\u2011standards bylaws.<\/p>\n

In a follow\u2011up post, Spearman addressed growing calls for the city to shut the business down. She clarified that municipal governments do not have the authority to close a business over offensive speech, warning that such power would set a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mayor can\u2019t just drop a hammer and make a decision in a scenario like the one so many of you are asking about,\u201d she wrote, noting that licensing bylaws are limited in scope and not designed to address discriminatory comments.<\/p>\n

The City of Airdrie also stated that social media content falls outside its jurisdiction, but encouraged residents to report concerning posts to the RCMP non\u2011emergency line, the Alberta Human Rights Commission, or the Better Business Bureau.<\/p>\n

CityNews reached out to Paul\u2019s Pizza for further comment but did not receive a response before broadcast.<\/p>\n

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