This story is adapted from an original article from March 2, 2026 in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.

Wedged between a seemingly endless stretch of wedding dress boutiques, one storefront stands out on Plaza Saint-Hubert.

Billed as "the first independentist citizen-café in Quebec" by posters plastered across its window and inspired by Catalan independence resistance networks, Club Pays comes from the Organisations unies pour l'indépendance (OUI Québec), a non-partisan organization. The café was conceived as a "third space" for sovereigntists, somewhere to nurture grand ideas for a province they hope to one day see become a country.

A standard café by day, the space hosts all manner of independentist events come evening: shows, open mics, reading circles, and lectures. Profits will be reinvested into the organization's activities.

In search of a gathering place

Behind the varnished wood counter, Camille Goyette-Gingras, president of OUI Québec, pours a coffee into a large blue mug ahead of its opening on March 13. Behind her, the menu advertises "Québecanos" and "biscOUIts".

"We don't want to see each other over Zoom anymore," she says, sipping it. "We want to meet in person, and a lot of us are looking for community. So having gathering places like the one we've created—it reflects our project."

"Even if people come to work remotely, conversations about the future of Quebec are kind of inevitable just by the nature of the place," adds the former president of the Forum jeunesse du Bloc québécois.

Since the announcement of Club Pays, OUI Québec has fielded enthusiastic requests from their base: people are asking them to open more cafés in Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and across the province. 

"We'll start by opening the one in Montreal," laughs Goyette-Gingras.

"Getting closer to people"

This story is adapted from an original article from March 2, 2026 in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.

Wedged between a seemingly endless stretch of wedding dress boutiques, one storefront stands out on Plaza Saint-Hubert.

Billed as "the first independentist citizen-café in Quebec" by posters plastered across its window and inspired by Catalan independence resistance networks, Club Pays comes from the Organisations unies pour l'indépendance (OUI Québec), a non-partisan organization. The café was conceived as a "third space" for sovereigntists, somewhere to nurture grand ideas for a province they hope to one day see become a country.

A standard café by day, the space hosts all manner of independentist events come evening: shows, open mics, reading circles, and lectures. Profits will be reinvested into the organization's activities.

In search of a gathering place

Behind the varnished wood counter, Camille Goyette-Gingras, president of OUI Québec, pours a coffee into a large blue mug ahead of its opening on March 13. Behind her, the menu advertises "Québecanos" and "biscOUIts".

"We don't want to see each other over Zoom anymore," she says, sipping it. "We want to meet in person, and a lot of us are looking for community. So having gathering places like the one we've created—it reflects our project."

"Even if people come to work remotely, conversations about the future of Quebec are kind of inevitable just by the nature of the place," adds the former president of the Forum jeunesse du Bloc québécois.

Since the announcement of Club Pays, OUI Québec has fielded enthusiastic requests from their base: people are asking them to open more cafés in Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and across the province. 

"We'll start by opening the one in Montreal," laughs Goyette-Gingras.

"Getting closer to people"

This story is adapted from an original article from March 2, 2026 in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.

Wedged between a seemingly endless stretch of wedding dress boutiques, one storefront stands out on Plaza Saint-Hubert.

Billed as "the first independentist citizen-café in Quebec" by posters plastered across its window and inspired by Catalan independence resistance networks, Club Pays comes from the Organisations unies pour l'indépendance (OUI Québec), a non-partisan organization. The café was conceived as a "third space" for sovereigntists, somewhere to nurture grand ideas for a province they hope to one day see become a country.

A standard café by day, the space hosts all manner of independentist events come evening: shows, open mics, reading circles, and lectures. Profits will be reinvested into the organization's activities.

This story is adapted from an original article from March 2, 2026 in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.

Wedged between a seemingly endless stretch of wedding dress boutiques, one storefront stands out on Plaza Saint-Hubert.

Billed as "the first independentist citizen-café in Quebec" by posters plastered across its window and inspired by Catalan independence resistance networks, Club Pays comes from the Organisations unies pour l'indépendance (OUI Québec), a non-partisan organization. The café was conceived as a "third space" for sovereigntists, somewhere to nurture grand ideas for a province they hope to one day see become a country.

A standard café by day, the space hosts all manner of independentist events come evening: shows, open mics, reading circles, and lectures. Profits will be reinvested into the organization's activities.