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‘That dream was cut short’: Calgary cafe owner killed during break and enter

Christophe Herblin was attacked by three men attempting to break into cannabis store next door
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Police in Calgary have identified 56-year-old chef Christophe Herblin as the man who was killed outside his Bow Trail Southwest cafe on Saturday, Mar. 14, 2020. (Croque Saveurs Facebook photo)

Police in Calgary have identified a chef who was killed on the weekend outside a Bow Trail Southwest cafe he was about to open.

Christophe Herblin, who was 56, was attacked by three men attempting to break into a cannabis store next door.

Police had searched the area before clearing the location.

Herblin remained in the parking lot for another three hours and it’s believed the original suspects returned and attacked him.

Herblin was fatally injured but managed to walk a short distance to a nearby business where emergency crews were called.

Police are still investigation and no arrests have been made.

“There are no words that I can say that will be adequate to describe Christophe. He was a kind, generous and gentle man. He loved his family, cooking, animals, motorcycles, good friends and wonderful food and wine,” Herblin’s family said in a statement.

“He worked extremely hard to realize his dream of opening his own cafe. That dream was cut short by this senseless tragedy.”

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According to the website for the Croque Saveurs cafe, Herblin grew up in South West France, attending French cooking school in Lille.

After gaining experience in Europe and other parts of Canada, he settled in Alberta “to bring some authentic, French flair to Calgarians in a fast, casual setting with Croque Saveurs.”

A Mar. 6 post on the cafe Facebook page said the target opening of the cafe was set for April 2020.

The Canadian Press

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