The Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA), also known as VegTO, is a volunteer-driven,

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ...

based in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. Founded in 1945, its mission is to inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more

compassionate Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...

lifestyle through plant-based eating. Held every September since 1985 at

Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre is a key cultural organization on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at 235 Queens Quay West. Established as a crown corporation in 1972 by the Government of Canada to create a waterfront park, it became ...

in Toronto, the organization's Annual Veg Food Fest attracts over 40,000 visitors annually and is the largest event of its kind in the world and is credited with having inspired a copycat VegFest movement in the United States, where over 120 such events were scheduled for 2018 and more for 2019. The event provides opportunities for visitors to learn about vegetarian issues and to sample vegetarian foods from diverse cuisines. The Toronto Vegetarian Association operates a number of other projects, providing information and support through its website, a drop-in resource centre, and a directory of vegetarian-friendly businesses in the Toronto area. The organization also conducts campaigns such as the Veggie Challenge, which challenges non-vegetarians to adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet for one week. The 7th Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off took place in 2015, selling out to over 500 attendees, and the 6th Veggie Parade in May 2015 marched through downtown Toronto, ending at Kensington Market. As of 2019, the Toronto Vegetarian Association also now hosts an annual Veg Spring Market in April or May, and a Holiday Market in late November. In 2010, the Toronto Vegetarian Association joined with Earthsave Canada and Lundi Sans Viande in launching a Canadian

Meatless Monday Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet. Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns Inc. in association with the ...

s campaign. Individuals can become a member of the Toronto Vegetarian Association with a minimal annual gift of $25. Members receive a Toronto Veg Card which gives discounts at over 120 restaurants and health food stores across the GTA, as well a subscription to the organization's magazine ''Lifelines'' with articles on vegetarian restaurants, cookbooks, fashion, nutrition, and more. Members' events are also held throughout the year such as bus trips to local farmed animal sanctuaries.

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External links

* {{Authority control Organizations based in Toronto Vegetarian organizations Vegetarianism in Canada

See also

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