{"id":829777,"date":"2026-07-27T19:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T19:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/829777\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T19:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T19:13:10","slug":"alberta-cafe-northeast-of-edmonton-closes-after-losing-customers-over-separatist-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/829777\/","title":{"rendered":"Alberta caf\u00e9 northeast of Edmonton closes after losing customers over separatist event"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Alberta caf\u00e9 owner says his business has shuttered after he hosted separatists and lost customers.<\/p>\n

John Ewanek says his caf\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n

He says that after those events, customers who didn\u2019t agree with his opinions stopped coming and he eventually closed the business.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just a nail in the coffin,\u201d the 55-year-old said. \u201cI probably lost about 15 per cent of my revenue and never recovered from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said musicians who were scheduled to perform at his caf\u00e9 also cancelled their appearances, and someone left a sign with an expletive outside condemning the separatist events.<\/p>\n

He closed the caf\u00e9, which had been a popular hub in Cold Lake since 1999, in late June and is now selling his assets to stay afloat. He said he bought the business from the previous owner in 2024.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Oct. 19 referendum.<\/p>\n

The question asks Albertans whether they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.<\/p>\n

Ewanek said he plans to vote in favour of having a second referendum on Alberta\u2019s place in Canada because he is a separatist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe separation is the way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said he joined Alberta\u2019s so-called freedom movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

He said he disagreed with the public health measures put in place by Ottawa to curb the virus, including mask mandates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really affected me personally because I have anxiety issues and not seeing faces really affected me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He claimed Alberta should also leave Canada largely because Ottawa has mismanaged Canada\u2019s food system. He said not enough food is grown domestically and it\u2019s highly processed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just can\u2019t even touch commercial chicken anymore. It\u2019s just disgusts me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said he doesn\u2019t regret hosting the separatist events, which saw fewer than a dozen signatories.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if we don\u2019t separate, I mean, we ought to talk about this stuff, you know? People don\u2019t want to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polls have suggested a large majority of Albertans want to stay in Confederation, but the debate is splitting communities.<\/p>\n

A rodeo parade in the town of Sundre, northwest of Calgary, was cancelled last month amid threats and abuse after parade organizers rejected a float festooned with Alberta flags.<\/p>\n

A pro-separation billboard in the southern town of Taber also garnered attention that same month.<\/p>\n

Separatist Cory Morgan, who paid for the billboard, refused to take it down despite an order from the town claiming it\u2019s a public nuisance.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Mark Carney has opposed the separation push and described the fall vote as a \u201cdangerous bluff.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has compared it to Brexit in the U.K., adding that separatists are making unrealistic promises and refuse to acknowledge the pitfalls of separation.<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Edmonton as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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