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VegOttawa at Vegans Who Snack

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A gathering of plant-power and community

This past Saturday, October 25, the VegOttawa Association had the joy of participating as a vendor at the Vegans Who Snack Festival, hosted by Little Jo Berry’s at the Parkdale Public Market. The event brought together hundreds of attendees, more than 60 local vegan-friendly vendors, and an atmosphere that perfectly captured what our community is all about — kindness, creativity, and connection through food.

Who We Are

For those who may be new to us, VegOttawa is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting a plant-based lifestyle in the Ottawa region. We advocate for veganism as a way to protect animals, improve personal and planetary health, and foster a more compassionate world.

Through our work, including maintaining a directory of vegan-friendly businesses, hosting community events, and collaborating with local organizations, we aim to make vegan living more accessible, inclusive, and connected. You can learn more about what we do at vegottawa.org. 

Memberships & What They Mean

One of the key ways we build and sustain our community is via our membership program. By joining VegOttawa, members gain access to exclusive discounts at 40+ vegan-friendly businesses in and around Ottawa, ranging from restaurants and cafés to fitness and wellness services. Membership also supports our advocacy work (we collaborate on environmental and animal-welfare initiatives) and enables us to host events for the plant-based community, such as the annual VegOttawa Fest. 

Annual membership is just $22.50, with a student option at 50 % off. There are no obligations once you join — you can attend our Annual General Meeting if you like, volunteer with us, or simply enjoy the benefits. Members are also welcome to attend our events and access our resources, including the member-discount network.

In short: when you sign up, you’re joining a community and helping to amplify our local plant-based impact. 

Why We Aligned with Vegans Who Snack

The Vegans Who Snack Festival is more than just a market — it’s a celebration of Ottawa’s thriving vegan scene. Organized by the amazing team at Little Jo Berry’s, the festival was designed to spotlight small businesses, showcase delicious vegan food, and create a fun, inclusive space for everyone: from long-time vegans to those simply curious about the lifestyle.

The festival’s mission perfectly aligns with our own. Both VegOttawa and Vegans Who Snack share a commitment to:

  • Supporting local vegan and vegan-friendly businesses
  • Building inclusive, accessible spaces that welcome everyone
  • Promoting community connection through food, compassion, and shared values

It was truly inspiring to see the turnout and enthusiasm from people of all ages — families, students, dog walkers, and longtime supporters — all enjoying a day built around kindness and delicious snacks.

Our Booth at the Festival

Our VegOttawa booth was buzzing with energy all afternoon! Visitors stopped by to learn more about our organization, sign up for our membership and newsletter, share their own vegan journeys, and connect with others in the community.

Some of our highlights included:

  • New members and volunteers: We welcomed several new sign-ups and had countless conversations about how to get involved.
  • Community connections: Many attendees discovered local vegan businesses through our directory and shared how much they appreciate having a resource like VegOttawa.
  • Engaging conversations: From tips on transitioning to a plant-based diet to learning about upcoming events, it was wonderful to exchange ideas with so many passionate people.

We also hosted a #PlantPowered trivia contest on all things food, animals, and the environment, with coupons from four of our amazing partners — Pie Rogues, Chap Chap Snacks, Fauxmagerie Zengarry, and Chickpeas — as prizes. The contest was a huge hit, and we’re so grateful for our partners’ generosity!

A Look Back at the Festival

The festival itself was an incredible success with vibrant music, good weather, and endless vegan treats. Vendors offered everything from baked goods and savory snacks to handmade crafts and sustainable products. The friendly, inclusive atmosphere reflected exactly what makes Ottawa’s vegan community so special.

We loved seeing some familiar faces and meeting many new ones, too. A special shout-out to the volunteers, organizers, and other vendors who made the day such a warm and welcoming experience.

What’s Next for VegOttawa You Ask?

We’re grateful to everyone who stopped by our booth, shared a smile, and helped make the festival such a success. Events like Vegans Who Snack remind us why we do what we do — because community connection is at the heart of meaningful change.

As we move forward, VegOttawa will continue supporting local vegan initiatives, hosting events, and expanding our resources for anyone interested in living more compassionately. Stay connected with us by visiting vegottawa.org, becoming a member, signing up for our newsletter, and following us on social media.Together, we’re building a healthier, kinder, and more sustainable Ottawa — one snack (and one conversation) at a time. 🌱

VegOttawa Fest 2025 – Save the Date for Ottawa’s Biggest Plant-Based Event!

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For Immediate Release

March 11, 2025 – VegOttawa Association is thrilled to announce that VegOttawa Fest 2025 will be held on Saturday, July 5th, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre. This marks Ottawa’s first Veg Fest since 2019 and with plant-based living more popular than ever, VegOttawa Fest 2025 promises to be the biggest and most exciting celebration of plant-based food and sustainability yet.

VegOttawa Fest 2025 will bring together a diverse community of foodies, vegans, health-conscious individuals, environmental advocates, animal lovers and those curious about plant-based living for a day filled with delicious food, inspiring guest speakers, cooking demonstrations and more. With thousands of attendees expected, this event is an opportunity for attendees to connect with leaders in the movement, explore new vegan-friendly products, and learn about the many benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

A Sneak Peek of Exhibitors and Non-Profits

VegOttawa Fest 2025 is shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind event, featuring top vegan and vegan-friendly businesses from Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal. Some of the exciting exhibitors already confirmed include:

  • Astoria Bistro Botanique
  • SuzyQ Doughnuts
  • Paradis Vegetarien
  • St. Elsewhere
  • BanhMiYes 
  • ETHICA Beauty Bar
  • Raw Nutritional
  • Raon Kitchen
  • Sakao Japanese Tea
  • Bestowed Cards
  • Jacked On The Beanstalk

In addition to delicious food and beverages, VegOttawa Fest will feature a variety of animal and environmental advocacy organizations, including:

  • We Animals
  • Climate Save Ottawa
  • Plant-Based Treaty
  • Secondhand Stories Chicken Sanctuary

Exhibitor and Sponsorship Opportunities

VegOttawa Fest 2025 is currently welcoming exhibitors and sponsors to join us in celebrating all things plant-based. With exhibitor spots starting to fill up, veg-friendly businesses and makers of food, drink, personal care, services, lifestyle, crafts and more are encouraged to secure their spot now.

We anticipate thousands of attendees from Ottawa and beyond, making this a unique opportunity for businesses to showcase their products to a passionate audience. The event will feature a dynamic trade show alongside inspiring guest speakers, cooking demonstrations, and more.

Interested in being part of this exciting event? Exhibitors and sponsors can find more details about how to get involved by visiting vegottawa.org/fest. We have many exhibitor booths already booked, so don’t miss out on this chance to connect with Ottawa’s growing plant-based community!

Save the Date – Saturday July 5, 2025!

VegOttawa Fest is more than just an event – it’s a movement. Whether you’re a longtime vegan or simply curious about plant-based living, we hope you will join us in Ottawa for a day of food, fun, and learning. Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 5th, and come experience the future of food in Canada’s capital! Visit vegottawa.org/fest for more details. 

VegOttawa Fest 2025 is a volunteer run event. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please email fest@vegottawa.org. 

About VegOttawa Association

VegOttawa is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting vegan lifestyle, community and business in Ottawa and surrounding areas. Originally founded in 2006, VegOttawa has since been working to raise awareness about the environmental, ethical, and health benefits of plant-based eating. VegOttawa Fest plays a vital role in bringing together individuals, businesses, and organizations across Canada, committed to creating a healthier, kinder, and more sustainable future.

For Media Inquiries:

Please contact us at fest@vegottawa.org for interviews and other media-related inquiries.

Visit VegOttawa Fest 2025 Online:

We look forward to seeing you at VegOttawa Fest 2025!

VegOttawa Seeking New Board Members!

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VegOttawa is committed to raising awareness and providing resources for vegans and transitioning vegans throughout their journey to improving personal health, protecting the environment and ending animal exploitation. However, we can only do this with the help of volunteers. As a non-profit we are operated entirely by a team of dedicated board members, advisors and volunteers who generously donate their time to our organization. VegOttawa Association is looking to find a Vice President & Treasurer for our board!

As a volunteer board member you will gain valuable experience, meet like-minded people, and support VegOttawa’s work to promote plant-based lifestyles in the Ottawa area! This is a great opportunity for Ottawa residents who are passionate about growing veganism in the nation’s capital. No experience is necessary and, although Board Members are expected to be dependable and have enough time to contribute, the specific time commitment can vary depending on your own availability. On average our board volunteers between 2-5 hours per week.

The ideal candidates should:

  • be able to commit to a one-year term as director
  • be living a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle
  • be able to volunteer approx. 2-5 hours per week
  • be able to attend the majority of the VegOttawa’s monthly meetings with other Board Members (time mutually decided on by all board members) and respond to e-mails in a timely manner

Vice-President Role Description:

  • monitor email and reply to inquiries in a prompt manner;
  • acts as the President in his or her absence;
  • is responsible for coordination of the Volunteer Committee including overseeing the social media team (including reviewing strategy, goals & content calendar);
  • and assists president in creating strategic development campaigns.

Treasurer Role Description:

  • monitor treasurer email and reply to inquiries in a prompt manner;
  • oversees the finances and budget of the Association;
  • keeps full and accurate accounting records of all receipts and disbursements;
  • under the direction of the Board, controls the deposit of money, the safekeeping of securities and the disbursement of the funds of the Association; 
  • renders to the Board an account of all transactions and of the financial position of the Association upon request by the Board; 
  • prepares or ensures that the Annual Financial Statement is prepared in accordance with applicable laws; and
  • liaises with an Auditor if required.

If you are interested in joining the VOA board, please email us at vegottawa@gmail.com with a copy of your resume!

Notice: As per the VegOttawa Association non-profit bylaws, board members must be a member in good standing of VegOttawa Association. Membership is $20 and is considered a financial investment in the organization. Previous membership not a necessity and purchasing a membership will only be required by the selected candidate.

OTTAWA VEGAN & VEGAN FRIENDLY BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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VegOttawa Friends,

Hope everyone is doing alright and all of your friends and family are staying safe and healthy.

We have been hard at work trying to think of ways we can best support and help our local vegan(/friendly) businesses through this difficult period. One of the ideas we had was to put together an updated business directory for the website in hopes that it would help consumers connect with businesses while many of their hours and services provided have been altered.

So from our website menu, you will now see “Ottawa’s Vegan & Vegan Friendly Business Directory“. Our partners, with whom you as a member receive a discount, are listed with photos and their logos which take you to their respective websites. We will continue to make improvements to this page (still tidying and simplifying) and add businesses to get a more comprehensive directory together.

You can now do and get just about anything in a vegan, cruelty-free form while living in Ottawa. We hope this makes it easier for anyone (vegan or not) to connect with the multitude of incredible services and products offered in our city.

Suggestions and feedback is always welcome. Feel free to contact us via our website contact page.

Take care, stay safe, enjoy the sun,

VOA Team

2019 NCVA 9th Annual AGM

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The National Capital Vegetarian Association will be holding its ninth Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, February 7th at 6 p.m. It will take place at the party room at 101 Richmond Road in Ottawa. We will review the achievements we’ve made since the last AGM and look towards the future of the NCVA.

All people who have purchased NCVA memberships between February 8, 2018 and February 7, 2019 are entitled to attend and to vote in the AGM. If you are uncertain as to your eligibility, please email our membership coordinator at ncvamemberships@gmail.com. You may still become a member between now and February 7, and would be able to attend the AGM.

As per our bylaws, there will be an election of the board of directors and nominations are currently being accepted. Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m., February 5. Only NCVA members in good standing may be nominated or make a nomination. You can nominate yourself or someone else. There are at least five director positions open, all of which are one-year terms.

Nominations can be e-mailed to ncvasecretary@gmail.com.

It would be very helpful if you RSVP’d your attendance to ncvasecretary@gmail.com, as we need a certain number of attendees to make quorum.

Thank you for supporting the NCVA’s efforts to make Ottawa a more veg-friendly place.

This Veganuary, Get a T-shirt With Your NCVA Membership!

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Hello Ottawa!

Veganuary starts today, and here at the NCVA we have a special offer for anyone who buys a membership. From now until the end of January, the NCVA will be selling newly-printed NCVA t-shirts at a discount (for only $5) to current and new members. If you aren’t a member yet, you can buy a membership and get your t-shirt—all for only $25! (A membership on its own costs $20.) If you’re already a member, you can get the t-shirt for only $5.

NCVA members can receive discounts on vegan food at various local vegan-friendly businesses, as well as a discount on attending NCVA potlucks. Membership is open to anyone, and there are no responsibilities associated with membership (although members are welcome to attend and vote in our Annual General Meeting and even run for the Board of Directors, if they so wish!).

To buy a membership and T-shirt, please click here to go to PayPal, or, if you are already a member, to buy a t-shirt only, please click here, instead. Please note that only current NCVA members can get the T-shirt only. Your T-shirt and membership card will be delivered to your house if you live in Ottawa (or you can pick it up in Ottawa), for free! If you live outside of Ottawa and are unable to pick it up, there is an additional $5 shipping fee.

To learn about Veganuary, and why and how to go vegan, you can check out their website at www.veganuary.com.

 

NCVA Potluck on October 22nd, 2017 at 1 p.m.

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Please join the National Capital Vegetarian Association at our next vegan potluck on October 22, 2017! This potluck is for lunch, and it runs from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.  Just like last time, the potluck will be held at the new location— the party room at 101 Richmond Rd in Ottawa. From 11 am to 12:15 am before the potluck, there will be a vegan yoga and self-care group meeting in the same room (you can find more details about that event here), so you can decide whether you want to come for one event or both!

Please note that the room capacity is 30 people. To attend the potluck, it costs $2 for NCVA members, $3 for non-members, and $1 for children to attend. All are welcome!

Please bring a vegan dish (that is, containing no meat, eggs, dairy/cheese, honey, or any other animal product) that serves 5 people, along with a serving utensil and a list of the ingredients in your dish. And don’t forget to bring your own plate, cutlery, and beverage!

Hope you can make it!

NCVA September 2017 Annual General Meeting

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The National Capital Vegetarian Association will be holding its eighth Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, September 30 from 1-3 pm. It will take place in the party room at 101 Richmond Road in Ottawa. We will review the achievements we’ve made since the last AGM and look towards the future of the NCVA.

All people who have purchased NCVA memberships between September 29, 2016 and September 30, 2017 are entitled to attend and to vote in the AGM. If you are uncertain as to your eligibility, please email our membership coordinator at ncvamemberships@gmail.com. You may still become a member between now and September 30 and attend the AGM.

As per our bylaws, there will be an election of the board of directors and nominations are currently being accepted. Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m., September 28. Only NCVA members in good standing may be nominated or make a nomination. You can nominate yourself or someone else. There are at least five director positions open, all of which are one-year terms.

Nominations can be e-mailed to ncvasecretary@gmail.com.

It would be very helpful if you RSVP’d your attendance to ncvasecretary@gmail.com, as we need a certain number of attendees to make quorum.

Thank you for supporting the NCVA’s efforts to promote the plant-based lifestyle and connect Ottawa’s vegetarian and vegan community.

Join the NCVA’s Board of Directors!

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With the National Capital Vegetarian Association’s Annual General Meeting coming up this Fall, we are looking for volunteers to join our Board of Directors. If you are interested in promoting and sharing the vegan lifestyle with others in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, why not apply?

No experience is necessary—just a desire to promote a vegan lifestyle and help foster a vegan/vegetarian community in Ottawa, and, although Board Members are expected to be dependable and have enough time to contribute, the specific time commitment can vary depending on your own availability.

We are currently looking for volunteers to fill the following positions: Treasurer, Volunteer Co-ordinator (the Volunteer Co-ordinator could be a general volunteer or a Board Member), and other Board Members. The NCVA needs people to join the Board of Directors in order to keep the organization running, so please don’t hesitate to ask e-mail us with your questions about these positions should you have any.

The ideal candidate should:

  • be living a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle
  • become a member of the NCVA (if you aren’t already) (membership costs $20/year and has many benefits)
  • be passionate about sharing a plant-based lifestyle with others, promoting a plant-based lifestyle, and increasing the accessibility of vegan food in the Ottawa community
  • be able to attend the majority of the NCVA’s monthly meetings with other Board Members (usually the meetings take place on one Sunday evening per month) and respond to e-mails in a timely manner
  • be able to take on various NCVA-related tasks (which will vary depending on the Board Member’s specific position, interests, and availability)

The NCVA holds potlucks and events, has an active Facebook group, and offers memberships that allow our members to receive discounts at certain businesses around Ottawa. We aim to make a vegan lifestyle more accessible for those in the Ottawa area.

Volunteering as a Board Member gives you the opportunity to have a say in the direction that the NCVA takes in coming years—and it also looks great on your resume!

If you are interested, please contact us via Facebook or send us an e-mail.