Ontario brewery slammed with negative reviews, abusive calls after hosting Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supports Liberal candidate Robert Rock at an Ontario brewery. (X/@JustinTrudeau)

An Ontario brewery that hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week says it’s been inundated with hundreds of hateful messages since then.

Trudeau visited the Brewer’s Pantry in Bowmanville, Ont. on Thursday to show support for Robert Rock, the Liberal Party candidate for the Durham federal byelection. The brewery posted a picture from the event and said it was flooded with dozens of negative Google reviews, offensive emails and phone calls at all hours of the night.

“I am not political. I am not a politician. I do not have thick skin. These are comments about my business that I am passionate about, and very proud of. Your comments and abusive phone calls hurt me,” Brewer’s Pantry posted on social media Friday.

One user wrote on Facebook, “Definitely a place I will never visit now” while another individual said, “Small business owners in Bowmanville will not forget your stance. You are not one of us.”

Rock released a video on Friday encouraging the community to stand behind the business.

“I am calling out to everybody please show the Brewer’s Pantry some love. Small business owners should not be penalized for making business decisions,” Rock said.

Ryan Turnbull, a Member of Parliament in Whitby, Ont., also released a statement condemning the hateful behaviour. “We will not stand for this! These business owners are good hardworking people who are passionate about craft beer,” he said before urging everyone to show love and support for the establishment.

The Brewer’s Pantry community has thrown their support behind the small business ever since then, writing positive reviews to combat the negative, while it appears many of the poor ratings on Google have been removed.

“For those that have reached out with your love and support, it means a lot. To those of you that judge us by who we have in our business, then I suggest maybe visiting us before you wish us bankruptcy, protests, violence, and outright hatred,” Brewer’s Pantry said.