VEGAN FEST 2022 • October 8 & 9, 2022

 

Alive and Kicking: Montreal Vegan Festival is Back! 9th Edition of the Festival to Take Place In Person For The First Time Since 2019, 8th & 9th October, 10 AM - 6 PM Tickets on sale now!

For its 9th edition, Montreal Vegan Festival returns to the Palais des Congrès. On Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th 2022, the festival for all food lovers will be back in downtown Montreal. For two days, foodies from all walks of life are invited to experience the vegan lifestyle and discover vegan cuisine. There will be kiosks, cooking demonstrations and conferences in both French and English – and everyone is welcome. Seasoned vegans, novices, or those who are simply curious to find out more, will be invited to reflect on the social and environmental impact of the food they eat. This year, Afro-veganism, sports nutrition and animal rights issues will be in the spotlight. The mission of the Montreal Vegan Festival is to inspire people and accompany them on their journey towards a cruelty-free world!   Loounie: special guest and official spokesperson of the festival! Caroline Huard, aka Loounie, is the face of the 2022 edition of the festival! A popular figure in the vegan food scene, Loounie is a self-taught culinary creator. Passionate about food, this former health professional first made a name for herself through her blog Loounie cuisine. She is best known for inventing magic tofu, a favourite of vegans and omnivores alike! Caroline may be something of a strange bird in the Quebec media landscape (her surname, Huard, is French for loon after all), but she has definitely found her niche. Since publishing two cookbooks with KO Editions, in 2019 and 2021, this activist for conscientious eating – yet who distances herself from toxic diet culture – has taken the media by storm! She is a frequent participant in the TV show Moi j'mange on Télé Québec and is a columnist for Radio Canada's Mordu platform, for which she also records the podcast À plat ventre. The festival is delighted to have this committed foodie on board as an ambassador. Caroline Huard, aka Loounie, spokesperson for FVM 2022 Montreal Vegan Festival, presented by Sham! The Little Italy and Plateau Mont-Royal restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine has chosen the festival to present its new range of ready-to-eat foods! Festivalgoers will be the first to try these delicious prepared dishes, concocted by Sham! Veganism: not just a diet, a way of life For a number of years now, veganism has been growing in popularity. More and more people are rallying to the cause, helping to protect our planet and the animals that inhabit it. Although food and health are always at the heart of the discourse, people join the movement for all kinds of reasons. The Montreal Vegan Festival is a gathering place, bringing together members of the community around ethical, social and ecological issues. It is also a place where newcomers are welcome, and where they can learn about and, above all, enjoy the festival! Brand new! There are some fantastic new features in store for visitors this year. Always more committed than ever, the festival is now zero waste!  At the 2022 edition, all materials, plates and utensils will be compostable. In an effort to support local businesses, the festival is launching its dining discount card! After two challenging years, the festival is committed to helping local restaurant owners. For $5, the card will entitle its holder to exclusive discounts at a selection of Montreal-based vegan restaurants for a period of 15 days. This is a great opportunity to try new dishes and discover new places while encouraging the local economy! PROGRAM 2022 CONFERENCES Experts and enthusiasts will share their knowledge with the public in 45-minute sessions. Our French and English guest speakers will answer questions from the audience to initiate a public debate.   Joe G. Thomas (EN) What is Afro-Veganism? Afro-veganism is a movement that draws connections between the fight against racism and the oppression of animals, while revalorizing ingredients from Afro-Caribbean cultures. Joe G. Thomas is the founder of Black Vegans of Toronto and Atiba Farm in Ontario. He holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University and is the author of the book Let Food Be Your Medicine Today: Live Healthy and Strong on Plant-Based Whole Foods. He has been promoting plant-based living and food self-sufficiency among Afro-descendant communities in Canada for thirty years. During the conference, he will give us a firsthand account of over 40 years of a plant-based lifestyle and the growth and development of Afro-Veganism in Canada.    Jimmy Videle (EN) Veganic Growing, Homesteading and Farming   Jimmy and his wife Mélanie founded the gardens of La Ferme de l’Aube in Boileau. Since 2014, they have been growing flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits without the use of any pesticides or animal fertilizers. In Jimmy's presentation, he will take us on a voyage of discovery through dedication, ingenuity, research and science and show what is not only possible but necessary, for gardeners and farmers, in settings from urban backyard to rural farmyard, for all floral and faunal beings to thrive on our collective planet.   Chloé Surprenant  (FR) What Rights for Farm Animals?   Chloé Surprenant is a Montreal-based criminal lawyer and animal rights specialist. She became involved in animal rights activism during her studies. She is specifically interested in the protection of animals exploited on farms under Canadian law. Her talk will focus on the status of animals under Canadian law and what limits, if any, are placed on farmers who exploit these animals.   Myriam Bahaffou (FR)  What Does Vegan Ecofeminism Tell Us About Antispeciesism?   Myriam Bahaffou is a doctoral student in feminist studies and philosophy. She is interested in interspecies connections from an ecofeminist and decolonial perspective, and advocates in various ecofeminist spaces and collectives for an intersectional understanding of climate justice issues. She signed the entry “Écoféminisme radical” in Feu! Abécédaire des féminismes présents, coordinated by Elsa Dorlin, and will publish Des paillettes sur le compost : écoféminismes au quotidien at Passager Clandestin in October 2022. In her talk, she will revisit the vegan ecofeminist positions theorized in the 1980s, to draw a veganism that is rooted in the reality of the most marginalized groups, far from the paradigm of “inclusivity.”   Sébastien Moro (FR) The Brains of the Farm: Intelligence and Emotions of Farm Animals   Science popularizer Sébastien Moro is the co-author of the comic book Les cerveaux de la ferme published in 2021 by La Plage. He will be presenting the work as part of a discussion on animal intelligence and emotions. While we are used to observing the behaviours of pets, farm animals are rarely the focus of human attention. This illustrated scientific essay uses humour to dispel the widespread misconception that these animals are not as intelligent or sensitive as their domestic cousins. The  author invites us to discover the incredible emotional intelligence and complex social relationships of farm animals.   PROGRAM 2022 COOKING DEMOS Vegan chefs are highly talented and they will have the opportunity to prove it at the Montreal Vegan Festival. Come discover mouth-watering recipes that you can reproduce at home to dazzle your friends and family!   Sara Girard (FR) My Everyday Cooking A vegan for nine years and an accomplished mother, Sara Girard shares her simple and delicious recipes on her blog Ma cuisine de tous les jours. She is also the author of the book One pot végane, published by Broquet. Eating healthy couldn’t be easier with Sara! Angèle (FR) Creamy Chick Pea Salad and Almond Cake   Angèle created the Instagram page @Veganmontreal in 2016, with the aim of sharing her growing passion for plant-based cuisine. Being also a lawyer and new mother, Angèle focuses on recipes that are accessible to everyone: easy, nutritious and delicious! Come and meet her on October 8 at the Palais des congrès to find out more.   Xavier Desharnais & Nicolas Leduc-Savard (FR) Battle of the Chefs   Xavier, an athlete, and Nicolas, a sports nutritionist, go back a long way. They are the co-authors of the cookbook Recettes véganes pour gens actifs and the creators of the blog Gourmand Gourmand. Passionate about sports and cooking, they help their readers improve their physical performance—and satisfy their taste buds! During the festival, the two friends will turn into competitors as they battle it out in a culinary challenge, all in the spirit of good sportsmanship!     Caroline Huard alias Loounie (FR) Shredded Mushroom Tacos The festival spokesperson will show us how to prepare one of her delicious original recipes.   Evy Mendes (EN) Cantine Toca Toca   This self-employed and self-taught chef revisits the West African cuisine of her childhood. At the wheel of her food truck, Evy shares comforting plant-based dishes that highlight her West African heritage.   Vegâteau (EN) Gâteau au chocolat Marc-Olivier and Jermy are the owners of Vegâteau, a dessert shop located on the Plateau Mont-Royal, where they serve their exquisite sweet creations. In addition to being vegan and gluten-free, all their baked goods are made with sustainable ingredients. The couple’s mission is simple: to make the world a better place, one scrumptious treat at a time!  TICKETS DAY: $9 WEEKEND: $15 16 AND UNDER: Free tpropdc.ticketpro.ca/en/pages/fvm2022 ABOUT FVM The Montreal vegan festival is a non-profit organisation that wants to make the great public discover veganism. With lectures, cooking demos, and exhibitors, it brings to light the benefits of a vegan lifestyle for the animals, health and the environment. Each year, the festival is organised by a passionate volunteer team working to make our world a better place. For more information, follow the Montreal Vegan Festival on social media! Members of the organization and spokesperson are available for interviews. The 9th edition of Monreal Vegan Festival is proudly presented by: Thanks to our other partners: