Separatist feud helping one Edmonton business but hurting many others

Local businesses are concerned about the effect Alberta separation would have on them. CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenney reports.

One Edmonton business is in a unique position where the feud over separatism is actually boosting sales, from both sides.

“We’ve had lots of people coming through. It’s been very busy the last year over the different types of flags people are wanting,” Joe Nykoluk said Monday.

“Of course, there’s Canada, and now there’s been an influx of Alberta flags being wanted to purchase.”

Nykoluk, also known as “Joe Canada”, owns O’Canada Gear in the Ritchie neighbourhood.

“In this area, more so Canadian support, but I’m getting a little bit of both,” he said.

While his livelihood depends on Canadian patriotism, in his interview with CTV News Edmonton, he wished to remain neutral on the issue of Alberta separation.

“I try not to be too political. I am just a little bit of what they call Switzerland here,” Nykoluk said. ”I am just here to sell flags, clothing, offer it to everybody, and it’s up to you which colour you want to fly.”

Uncertainty ‘extremely damaging’ to Alberta economy: economist

Premier Danielle Smith said while she supports Alberta staying in Canada, she’s promised to include a question about a separation referendum on the upcoming October referendum ballot.

While not the case for O’Canada Gear, economist Moshe Lander says the uncertainty around separation is “extremely damaging” to the Alberta economy overall.

“It tends to delay business investment. You don’t know if in five years, 10 years, you could be operating a small business in an entirely different country,” said Lander.

“So why would you invest today in new technology, or expand your business, or hire workers?”

Lander believes small businesses will be impacted more than those that span borders since the latter already deal with different rules and regulations.

“If you’re a small mom-and-pop-type operation, you might just look to leave the province entirely,” he said.

“So the entrepreneurship and innovation that you’re bringing to the small business community now becomes somebody else’s benefit.”

Edmonton mayor urges businesses to speak up

On Monday, Edmonton’s mayor urged companies to speak up about the harms they’re facing to remind people about the “economic reality” of separation talks.

“I’ve heard from both large-scale employers and I’ve heard from smaller mom-and-pop individuals. This is a real situation. This is a real impact,” Andrew Knack said.

“When I put out my statement last week and called it catastrophic, it’s because of conversations like the ones I’ve been having that I felt that was a reasonable term to use.”

The CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce wrote an op-ed on the issue earlier this year, saying an attempt at separation would “paralyze Alberta’s economy and have long-lasting, dire consequences.”