Membership Pays — the first-ever sovereigntist-themed espresso store in Quebec — opened its doorways in Montreal’s Plaza St-Hubert on Friday.
The café is run by OUI Québec, a non-partisan and citizen-led group that advocates for Quebec’s independence.
From “Québecanos” to “bisc-oui-ts,” the café serves snacks and drinks, together with alcohol. The area additionally hosts occasions and stay performances to focus on native Quebec artists.
Camille Goyette-Gingras, president of OUI Québec, stated Membership Pays is greater than a sovereigntist motion – it’s a neighborhood.
“This area is an area to create human connections, to consider the long-term way forward for Quebec, to create options which can be going to reply the long-term views and the issues that the residents stay proper now,” stated Goyette-Gingras.
OUI Québec stated people from all walks of life are welcome to go to the café — whether or not it’s to study or have open discourse about Quebec independence.
“We noticed there was a vox-pop performed on the road about Membership Pays, and folks from immigrant backgrounds stated mainly, ‘effectively, if the espresso is nice, why not?,’” stated Goyette-Gingras.
That’s what Goyette-Gingras stated Membership Pays is all about: taking the depth off the dialogue about immigrants and repairing their belief, shifting additional away from the social divides typically attributable to politics, just like the debates on the Nationwide Meeting.
“After all the French language is on the heart of our id and our tradition, however it doesn’t imply that English is just not related. […] Everyone seems to be related within the motion and everybody needs to be aside of it too,” stated Aymeric Lalonde, a 19-year-old youth coordinator of OUI Québec.
Lalonde stated he’s been part of the Quebec independence group since he was 16 years outdated — and he’s not the youngest within the sovereigntist motion.
“It’s fairly good to see so many younger folks. Most individuals say, ‘oh, they’re not educated, they’re not thinking about politics or something.’ However that’s not true. While you come to our occasions, you’ve gotten folks which can be 14 and you’ve got folks which can be 78 years outdated,” stated Lalonde.
Vice Benoit, a first-time buyer at Membership Pays, stated he appreciates OUI Québec’s non-partisan method to the sovereigntist motion.
“It’s a really good solution to get launched to the topic and form of demystify it and take away among the stereotypes about this,” stated Benoit.
Mike Tricco, a customer from Newfoundland, Alberta, stated Membership Pays is nice for Quebecers. Nevertheless, if Quebec “left the nation it could be horrible.”
“Alberta needs to depart the nation – then there’s no extra nation. I like Canada,” he stated.
Regardless of Membership Pays solely being open for a day, the café is getting busier. Membership Pays’ proceeds go to OUI Québec.