Montreal Vegan Festival 2021

Montreal Vegan Festival 2021 Unveils Program!

8th Edition of the Festival to Take Place Online for Free Saturday, November 6th, During World Vegan Month.

The Montreal Vegan Festival (FVM) is delighted to once again arouse curiosity and taste buds alike via a series of events on Facebook and the FVM website, for the enjoyment of all. The goal for this 8th edition remains the same: to highlight the benefits of the vegan lifestyle for animals, health and the environment, as well as to support and inspire people, from the veg-curious to the vegan.

A festival with a future

The growing popularity of veganism around the world is undeniable and the desire of consumers to adopt a new, healthier and more ethical lifestyle is felt every day. Indeed, veganism is a way of life that refuses the consumption of products of animal origin or from their exploitation. This concerns among others food products, clothing and cosmetic products. Several reasons can push a person to adopt a vegan lifestyle, such as animal ethics, human health and environmental preservation. Every year, the FVM works to make our world more just – this is the ethical festival not to be missed.

2021 spokesperson Rafaëlle Roy lends her voice!

The FVM is proud to be associated with Rafaëlle Roy, the 27-year-old singer and content creator. Vegan since the age of 19, she is the happy mother of an 8-month-old vegan baby girl. To learn more about Rafaëlle’s motivations for becoming vegan, find her complete interview on the FVM social networks and website in the new Portraits of the week section, where you can also find other inspiring vegan portraits that will be posted every Wednesday until the festival.

“I am deeply proud and grateful to be the official ambassador of this event which has supported me over the years to strengthen my convictions and to support the lifestyle that I have chosen almost 10 years ago for animals! Montreal Vegan Festival had a huge impact on my journey and will continue to fuel this passion for justice, equality and good food this year, despite the circumstances. It is a real privilege to have access to all these resources so easily. For you, for the planet and for its inhabitants, join us!” Rafaëlle Roy, FVM 2021 spokesperson

CONFERENCES & PANEL

Véronique Armstrong
Hunting & Fishing: For Nature Lovers? (Fr)

 Common ideas such as the image of hunters and fishermen as nature lovers testify to the overall positive vision cherished by them. However, is such an idea fair and is it really beneficial for the environment? This conference takes a closer look at the different dynamics at play, including the legal context and its implications, and it raises certain realities and contradictions and offers a reflection on environmental consequences that go unnoticed.

With a master’s degree in the environment, Véronique Armstrong is currently pursuing doctoral studies in philosophy in order to progress her thoughts in animal and environmental ethics.

Marilou Boutet
Towards an Intersectional Veganism (Fr)

 The literary director and author of the collective book (V)égaux, vers un véganisme intersectionnel will discuss the inclusiveness of the animalist struggle within other social movements. Where does this idea that strong men eat meat come from? What does it mean to call someone a cow or a monkey? The main objective of this discussion is to show a new feature of veganism, that of a political movement embedded in feminist, anti-racist and anti-ableism struggles. Marilou will also present the concept of pleasure activism, that is, how to make happiness inherent in our struggles. What happens to our struggles when they are born of a desire to come together, to let tomorrow transform us?

Benoît Noël
Vegan Agriculture (Fr)

 An agronomist by training, Benoît Noël has mainly worked on the launch and management of citizen agricultural projects around Liège and in Senegal. In 2020, he launched a participatory and vegan agriculture project in the Liège outskirts: Vtopia. Located in the heart of the urban fabric, the objective is to develop efficient and strictly vegan agriculture on living soil.

Joshua Katcher
The Fashion Zoo (En)

 The Fashion Zoo investigates how and why animals have been exploited in the fashion industry. From the contemporary fight over fur to historic extinctions driven by fashion trends, Joshua Katcher will explore the social, economic and political contexts and the ecological and ethical implications of animals used in fashion, as well as the most exciting innovations in material technology.

Joshua Katcher is a fashion designer, author, international speaker and specialist in the United States for sustainable and ethical fashion legislation.

Shawna Gray, Mandi Howard and Eric Vautour & Kimberly Carroll
Decolonizing the Vegan Movement (En)

 Three Indigenous vegans will discuss ways the vegan movement can show up more effectively for Indigenous peoples. This is a time of great pain and grief for our social justice cousins with whom we have so many intersecting values, so it’s an especially important time for us to stand beside them and support Indigenous rights. That requires understanding the core issues around Indigenous oppression, how the vegan movement has fallen down in supporting Indigenous peoples in the past, and how we can do better.

Alexandra Morette
Reconsidering Our Relationship to Other Animals – Captivity For Entertainment (Fr)

 This presentation will focus on the reasons why it is important to question the business of zoos and the captivity of wild animals for our entertainment more broadly, on the arguments of conservation, education and research concerning them, as well as on the fashion of wild animals in private homes.

An activist for the animal cause, Alexandra Morette has been the president of the association Code Animal since 2017.

Marianne Asselin, Guillaume Audet and Camille Baillargeon-Côté
The Planet on the Menu (Fr & En)

 Animal production is a gargantuan undertaking with many ramifications. By better understanding the situation from a macro perspective, the video is intended to introduce you to the subject to help you in your future choices. The information presented is the result of extensive research and sources will be made available to you if you wish to learn more about the subject.

COOKING DEMOS

Sébastien Kardinal
mushroom and wine seitan stew

Vegan since 2007, Sébastien is a prolific culinary author, food critic and French Youtuber. His specialties are vegan adaptations of traditional cuisines, and street food.

Alexis aka Chef Elix
lemon and lime cheesecake

Passionate about cooking since he was very young, Chef Elix, a 13-year-old who has published more than 150 recipes on his website chefelix.ch, is eager to show the abundance of vegan cuisine, healthy cuisine and that which does not make any animal suffer.

Christian Ventura
my secret recipe for everyday cooking

Christian Ventura is not only a talented vegan chef, but also an ambitious entrepreneur. Founder of Sushi Momo, Casa Kaizen and Nopalito, Christian intends to continue fuelling the vegan revolution in Quebec, one bite at a time.

Zébulon Vézina
pecan apple tart

Pâtisserie Zébulon is the new destination for all gourmet epicureans on Plateau Mont-Royal. This refined and popular outlet creates 100% plant-based pastry inspired from the French style. It is with pride that the Zébulon pastry shop invites you to discover how to prepare apples and pecans “à la Zébulon” in order to extract their full potential.

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

“In this 2nd year of the pandemic, many uncertainties remain, but it is increasingly urgent to look at the  benefits that veganism can offer to the overall health of humans, the planet and animals. We decided to do a virtual festival again in 2021, as there was no long term policy regarding government guidance on Covid19 at the time we made our decision.

We have several guests who will make you think about veganism in all its dimensions, we will talk about hunting, fishing, exotic animals, zoos, intersectionality, indigenous vegans, vegan agriculture and of course, we will present you delicious culinary demonstrations. We hope that the vegan community will be with us as well as the curious or even skeptical people. We hope that the festival is the agent for progressive ideas and that you will be impressed by the quality of the reflection of our speakers.” Louis-Alexandre Gagnon, President – FVM 2021

Each year, FVM is organized by a passionate volunteer team working to make our world a better place. For further information and news about the festival, follow them on social media.