Unfortunately because of the election, Georges Laraque will no longer be speaking at Veg Fest ’11.

But fear not, the NCVA has lined up another fantastic speaker, who has a great story to share. Doug McNish is the new executive chef at Grail Springs Retreat in Bancroft Ontario, and previously served as a vegan chef at Raw Aura and Urban Herbivore in Toronto.

Doug wasn’t always a vegan chef; several years ago he was extremely overweight, unhealthy, and depressed while working the grill at the Air Canada Centre. A friend showed him a video that depicted scenes of animal cruelty, and it changed his life. He began exercising, eating more healthily, and became a vegan. Over time he lost nearly 100 pounds.

“People are realizing that veganism is not such an extreme position, that it is actually much healthier than a meat-eating diet. There’s a huge industry with billions of dollars being made on the production of meat, and it’s all unnecessary,” Doug says.

He will speak at Veg Fest about how becoming vegan has changed his life, and about his experiences as a vegan chef at some of Canada’s most innovative vegan restaurants.

“It truly is my passion and love to share my story about how I changed my life through diet, ethics and compassion,” Doug says.