It’s a great thing to be vegan no matter where in the world you are, but some places make it more fun than others. Canada, for instance, is what we in the biz like to call “veg-friendly,” and that’s why we felt compelled to make a list of all the wonderful vegan things that the Great White North has to offer:
Vegan Hotdogs
Have you ever thought that you, a vegan, would be able to order something from a roadside hot-dog cart? Well, in Canada, you CAN. Maybe that’s why they call it Canada. … I get it now, Canada, you sly dog. The streets of Canada are filled with vegan hot dog–slinging carts:
But Canada offers more than just vegan hot dogs, duh … Canaduh! … Canadians also have a ton of mouthwatering vegan food that would make even the most hard-core carnivore say, “That looks pretty good,” without even being sarcastic.
Behold:
Vegan Restaurants and Food Trucks
Loving Hut Express in Vancouver
Aux Vivres in Montréal
Boon Burger Cafe in Winnipeg
The Hogtown Vegan in Toronto
Auntie Loo’s Treats in Ottawa
Sailin’ On in Edmonton
Veg Out in London
If you just had to wipe some drool off your chin, you’re not alone, my friend.
Animal Rights Rock Stars
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a country where a lot of animal rights activists are born. Check out all these animal heroes who call Canada their home and native land:
- Alissa White-Gluz
- Brendan Brazier
- Jayde Nicole
- Keltie Knight
- k-os
- Laura Vandervoort
- Megan Park
- Pamela Anderson
- Propagandhi
- Ryan Gosling
- Silverstein
- Steve-O
- Tegan and Sara
- Tricia Helfer
The Animal Rights/Welfare Laws
How can you tell if a country is awesome or not? Just look at the laws it has in place to protect animals. I guess that means Canada gets an A—er, EH—FOR AWESOME.
- In Ontario, it’s illegal to breed and sell orcas.
- Over nine provinces in Canada give students the right to choose not to dissect animals in their classroom.
- Toronto, Richmond, New Westminster, Kingston, Vaughan, Waterloo, and Mississauga have all banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores.
- More than 20 municipalities in British Columbia have banned circuses from using exotic-animal “performers.”
- Toronto City Hall sent the Toronto Zoo’s three elephants to the Performing Animal Welfare Society sanctuary.
Vegan and Cruelty-Free Companies
Some of the biggest brand names in the vegan community were started by compassionate Canucks:
That’s right—without Canada, the world would be Gardeinless! I don’t even like thinking about it.
Mr. Noodles chicken-flavor vegan ramen, vegan dark chocolate KIT KAT bars, vegan chicken sandwiches at KFC (in a wrap with no mayo), and Humpty Dumpty’s All Dressed Up vegan ripple potato chips. #jealous
And the same goes for these companies’ products, which only the lucky people of Canada get to enjoy:
Vegan Food Fests
When meat-eaters ask you where you get your poutine—BOOM! Check out any of these fests:
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Montréal’s Free Vegan Food Festival
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Festival Végane de Montréal
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Vegfest Guelph
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Halifax VegFest
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Niagara VegFest
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Toronto’s Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off
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Toronto’s Ryerson Winter Veg Fest
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Toronto’s Veg Food Fest
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Toronto Veggie Pride Parade
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Toronto Vegan Food and Drink Festival
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Vancouver Veg Expo
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VegFest London
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Veg Fest Vancouver
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Veggie Fest Hamilton
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Victoria Vegan Fest
Animal Rights Activism
In addition to the fact that the seal slaughter is cruel beyond belief, it’s also a giant burden on Canadian taxpayers. Mo’ seal murda, mo’ problems. Plus, wearing anything made from seal fur makes you look like a giant hoser.
The good news is that if you’re in Canada, you’re on the front lines of the fight to end the seal slaughter! And you’re in good company: Canadian native Ryan Gosling bashed the disgusting “tradition” in this brilliant (and sarcastic) Huffington Post article.
But you don’t have to be from Canada to speak out for seals: Although born in the U.S., Ke$ha, Holly Madison, Rachael Leigh Cook, Brody Jenner, and Perez Hilton, among others, also got in on the action against the seal slaughter, and you can, too!
So get out of your housecoat and grab your toque, fill your knapsack with leaflets, and give’r!
Esther the Wonder Pig
Esther is a special Canadian lady who told everyone she was a micro-pig … and then gained more than 600 pounds after she was adopted. Well played, Esther.
Through her beautiful smile and hilarious jokes, Esther stole the hearts of her adopted parents and quickly persuaded them to make the transition to a cruelty-free vegan lifestyle. Esther teaches everyone she meets that pigs are basically just really smart chubby pink dogs who are better suited to live as friends than to die to be dinner. Oh, Canada, you’re so lucky to have such a gentle and compassionate citizen.
With all of Canada’s events dedicated to celebrating cruelty-free vegan living, the vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, and the growing awareness of animal rights issues among Canadians, there has never been a better time to be vegan in Canada.