Toronto neighbourhood upset over political views of local restaurant owner
The owner of a well-known Toronto sports bar is coming under fire this week for his financial contributions to the failed 2018 mayoral campaign of a local white nationalist.
Gus Koutoumanos is the man behind Shoxs Sports Saloon, a practical fixture in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood after nearly 25 years of standing at 2827 Dundas St. W.
He also happens to have donated $1,000 to the alt-right extremist candidate Faith Goldy ahead of last fall's mayoral election, as pointed out by PressProgress in a recent analysis of the controversial candidate's campaign donors.
Head up if you live in the Junction like me. Gus Koutoumanos, owner of @SHOXSSALOON, gleefully donated to Nazi Faith Goldy’s mayoral campaign. If you patron Shox, this is where your money is going. #topoli https://t.co/KplaKVSklb
— Christine Estima (@christineestima) May 9, 2019
Goldy, best known for riling up racists, has been criticized widely in recent years for her "dangerous" views on immigration and for perpetuating alt-right conspiracy theories. She was fired from Rebel Media in 2017 after appearing on a neo-Nazi podcast and now serves as a political commentator and activist.
"Faith Goldy complains her failed campaign to become the Mayor of Toronto was sabotaged by 'establishment elites,' but in fact her campaign was bankrolled by donors living in some of Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods," reads the explosive PressProgress analysis.
"Although her campaign received direct support from white supremacist groups, Goldy's recently published financial statements suggest white collar donors were bigger enablers of her far-right mayoral campaign."
Fuck, fuck, fuck - one of my favourite sports bars is owned by a Faith Goldy supporter.
— Tom McGee (@mcgeetd) May 10, 2019
That’s a hard fucking boycott on Shox in the Junction.
May your ‘Faith’ leave you bankrupt, asshole.
Koutoumanos is one of seven such prominent "white collar donors" who were called out in detail by PressProgress last Thursday, and news of his support for Goldy's bid to become mayor is proving problematic for at least one of his business ventures.
Just a quick scroll through the Facebook page for Shoxs shows how angry many locals are with Koutoumanos, who himself ran for a seat on City Council during fall's municipal election, but lost.
"I recently found out that the owner donates to Faith Goldy, a giant racist," reads one recent review on the page. "I'll be taking my business to Hole in the Wall, or the Alpine, or Indie Alehouse from now on."
"Fellow Junctionites! The owner of Shoxs on Dundas West between Indian Grove and Keele, Gus Koutoumanos, gleefully donated money to Nazi Faith Goldy's mayoral campaign last year," reads another. "If this is where you go, this is where your money is going."
Hey @SHOXSSALOON. Faith Goldy is a white supremacist. I’m a Junction resident and *former* patron. Figure yourself out.
— Glyn Bowerman (@glynbowerman) May 10, 2019
Also no one likes the Cleveland Browns. pic.twitter.com/teZ8C2fZI5
More than 125 people have now commented on a separate thread in the Junction Triangle Community Facebook Group to share similar sentiments.
"It's up to each of us to decide how and where to spend their money, but I certainly won't be spending another penny at Shoxs," wrote Simon Harvey following the release of the PressProgress piece on Thursday.
"For those who don't know, Faith Goldy is the fascist who was kicked off Rebel Media for being too racist, and recently came in (a very distant) third in the last mayoral election. Due to certain obvious improprieties, her campaign finances are under investigation; this was released today."
Also true.
— dr. oswald honkler 🤡 (@OHonkler) May 10, 2019
Donating to a candidate is the substantially identical to voting for them. It's a kind of super-vote. I'm not sure why that should be public if our elections are by secret (or quasi-secret) ballot. pic.twitter.com/picgNBYjZN
Goldy has yet to specifically address the Shoxs controversy, though she did publish a video called "This Ain't Your Grandaddy's Democracy" on Thursday.
"Yes, hello, it's me from the mainstream media," she says in a weird, Beavis-like voice into her cell phone during the video. "Did you donate to Faith Goldy? Yes... [unintelligable] peepee poopoo head [unintelligable]."
Koutoumanos himself told PressProgress by phone that his $1,000 donation only worked out to about $250 after taxes, and then hung up when asked why he donated to the candidate at all.
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