TRUDEAUPHOBIA
Customers rally behind Charlottetown pub after barrage of online hate
Tue, August 2, 2022 

Lone Oak received negative backlash after posting photos of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit. (Laura Meader/CBC - image credit)

A P.E.I. pub owner says the online love has outweighed the hate after a visit from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month sparked a barrage of abusive comments and negative reviews.

Charlottetown's Lone Oak brew pub faced the backlash after posting on social media photos of Trudeau posing with staff. Last weekend, the pub's delivery van was vandalized, with its windshield smashed.

Co-owner Jared Murphy said despite the vandalism, the pub has been busier than normal, and the support from customers has been overwhelming.

"People really showed up and that was amazing. We are so appreciative of that. You could just see the attitude shift in our staff and you know, it went from a sort of sombre few days to a very uplifted, positive vibe in our establishment."

Laura Meader/CBC

The pub removed the photos from its Facebook page when the negative comments began, but has since put them back up. The pub's online ratings, which also dropped initially, have also returned to normal, Murphy said.

Charlottetown police said they are investigating the incident.