Closure of Upstreet Craft Brewing called 'devastating' for P.E.I.'s LGBTQ+ community
Brewery shut its 2 locations in mid-June, saying creditors had rejected its proposal
The closure of a longtime P.E.I. microbrewery is not only a loss for the province's business community, but it also means one less safe space for LGBTQ+ people on the Island.
Earlier this month, after 10 years in business, Upstreet Craft Brewing announced it was shutting down both of its locations in Charlottetown.
Cameron Cassidy, executive director of Pride P.E.I., said the brewery's owners had created a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to gather and host events — and they backed that policy up with their actions.
"It's just devastating to lose them, to be honest…. When I talk about true allyship, they are true examples of what that can look like," Cassidy said. "It's very easy to say, 'I'm an allied business,' and it's very much something else to be able to say, 'I would know how to speak up if something happened' and trust your staff to do that."
On June 4, Upstreet said it had entered creditor protection, adding that it had filed a proposal to restructure its debt and hoped to be able to keep things running as usual.
But on June 17, the company announced that the proposal had been rejected by its creditors, forcing the permanent closure of its two locations — its original taproom on Allen Street and Craft Beer Corner at the intersection of Kent and Great George streets.
Jamin MacNevin, a local drag king who goes by Arson Burner, had a performance scheduled for the taproom last week that had to be cancelled.
Having hosted his first show at Upstreet, he said it's important for members of the LGTBQ+ community to feel welcome at a venue.
"I felt very comfortable at Upstreet, and I think a lot of local drag artists have become comfortable using Upstreet as a venue, so it's just disappointing," he said.
"Being able to go to… any sort of venue and feel that way is sort of important, because that just doesn't happen very often."
More venues needed
Other members of the community would love to see more Island businesses follow in Upstreet's footsteps.
Seán Collins, who performs under the name Miz Majestix, hosted a weekly drag bingo at the taproom.
Having more safe spaces like Upstreet would go a long way toward increasing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community by the wider population, Collins said.
"It means the world to us. It means that we feel seen, we actually exist, that our community, outside of our queer community, actually accepts who we are and wants us to thrive, rather than push us down or push us back into corners," Collins said.
"It's not just the venue; it's the actual patrons that go inside of it. There are some places around here where they say they are queer-friendly, but you do not feel safe at all."
Cassidy said Upstreet had been a consistent location for Pride events since it first opened in 2015.
Pride P.E.I. had planned for five of its Pride Festival events in July to be held at the brewery's Charlottetown venues, so now the organization is looking for new spots to hold those events.
Cassidy said other businesses in the province can learn a lot from how Upstreet ran its venues.
"Sometimes we all just need to heal and share space and enjoy each other's company," she said.
"I hope that other spaces on P.E.I. continue doing the work — and that they see that as an example of how they can be more accessible to the queer community."
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With files from Gwyneth Egan