Veg Fest/YogaFest is fast approaching, and now the social media blitz must begin!
We’re asking all friends of Veg Fest and the NCVA to help us get the word out about the 5th Annual Veg Fest, which will be combined this year with Yoga Fest in a two-day extravaganza of awesomeness.
The Thumbnail!
Here’s what you do: Download this picture. Then use it as your Facebook thumbnail and/or your twitter picture.
Then, if you want to be even more awesome, download this picture, and use it as your Facebook cover photo.
Easy as vegan pie, right?
With any luck, facebook and twitter will be a sea of Veg Fest/Yoga Fest photos in the weeks leading up to the event.
Thanks for all your support, and we’ll see you on June 22-23!
Veg Fest and The NCVA Vegan Cupcake Challenge is less than two weeks away! Ottawa’s best amateur vegan bakers are no doubt immersed in a frenzy of last-minute baking and testing as they vie for the title of the NCVA Vegan Cupcake Champion and the fabulous prize package that accompanies the prestigious title.
As of now, there are 18 entrants to the competition, so it’s going to be fierce! And delicious.
Today in the last part of the “Meet Our Judges” series we introduce Ian Capstick.
Ian Capstick, principal of MediaStyle, an Ottawa-based communications firm, has been saying ‘thanks’ with cupcakes since he opened up shop.
His enthusiasm for baking has manifested in the sponsorship of an unconference about cupcakes known as Capital Cupcake Camp. With hundreds of entries, t’s definitely the largest cupcake event in Ottawa. Which means Ian Capstick knows cupcakes.
While MediaStyle is not a cupcakery, Ian believes that cupcakes are meant for sharing, much like the communications work MediaStyle does online.
I moved to Ottawa more than 11 years ago from a small town. While Ottawans like to think of Ottawa as being similar to a small town, to me it was a big and impersonal city where I was just another face in the crowd. It was a difficult adjustment, and it took many years for me to feel like Ottawa was my home. The girl who worked at the little bagel shop I used to frequent back home (this was in my pre-gan days) would see my car coming down the street, and start my order. It was always ready by the time I walked into the cafe. Now that’s customer service!
Back to Ottawa, I think it has helped to be part of a subculture. There are a limited number of businesses catering specifically to vegetarians and vegans, but it also presents the opportunity to develop relationships with many of the business owners and staff of the places which I patronize. Partly as a result of my work with the NCVA I am on a first name basis with many of the owners of veg-oriented business in Ottawa, which is a great feeling. It helps me to feel good about many of my consumer choices, because I know where my money is going; it’s often supporting the very community of businesses and people who support me as a vegan.
While it’s very difficult to follow the money trail for every purchase we make, I do try to support companies and organizations that are good to their workers, make an effort to operate and source ethically, and which give back to the community. I want to give a shout out to one in particular which is supportive of the veg community, and without their support, we may not have been able to put on two Veg Fests.
Veg Fest 2010, sponsored by The Table
For many Ottawa residents—vegetarian or otherwise—their first encounter with plant-based cuisine occurs at The Table Vegetarian Restaurant. In fact, The Table serves some 400 people each and every day! But what diners and the public may not know is that not only is The Table a great place to eat, but its owner, Simon Saab, is an outstanding corporate citizen.
“From day one, my philosophy has been to give back to the community that we operate within. Sponsoring is a way of letting the people who come in, who enjoy the restaurant and the food we serve, know that I really appreciate their support of my business,” Simon says. “I do believe that if you give, you receive so much back.”
The Table is the NCVA’s biggest corporate supporter, including as the title sponsor for both Ottawa Veg Fests. When the NCVA first considered holding a festival, Simon was the first business owner to sign on. It’s largely thanks to The Table’s sponsorship that Veg Fest has succeeded, and remains a free event.
The Table has also sponsored other local events and publications, including the SimplyRaw festival. Simon says from a business point of view, sponsoring events like Veg Fest is a good way of keeping the restaurant’s name recognition up. “And from a personal standpoint, I really enjoy what I do.”
Simon’s family has a long history in the restaurant business, and he’s been a part of the industry for some 35 years. Ten years ago he decided to combine his interest in restaurants with his interest in a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
“Vegetarian and organic have always been personal interests of mine, for more than 30 years. Since I opened the restaurant my commitment to the veg lifestyle has been very strong,” he says. Indeed, everything served at the restaurant’s buffet-style set up is vegetarian, and most selections are vegan. Some choices are raw, and/or gluten free. In the past few years the restaurant has focused even more on purchasing produce from local farmers.
“People are so much more aware of illnesses and what to do and eat to help themselves, a lot more than they were 15 or 20 years ago,” Simon says.
He says the recent addition of several new vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the Ottawa area has been complementary to his own business, and shows the high level of demand for plant-based alternatives in Ottawa.
The Table is one of the veterans: on July 24, it celebrated 10 years in business.
The NCVA is grateful to all of the businesses that have supported us, from sponsoring Veg Fest, to offering our members discounts, to buying advertising in Capital Veg News, to making product donations, and more. Without their support it would be an uphill battle!
The Table Vegetarian Restaurant
230 Wellington Street West, Ottawa
(613) 729-5973
thetablerestaurant.com
We have been very fortunate to be able to anchor our two Veg Fests with top notch speakers on what we consider to be the key reasons to live a veg lifestyle: Health, Environment, and Animal Rights.
Unfortunately some of our volunteers were among those who were not able to see the speakers make their presentations (that includes Corrie and I, the event organizers). There were also many others who either couldn’t make it to the event, or couldn’t tear themselves away from the excitement happening upstairs.
But there’s good news: The NCVA now has each of the speaker’s presentations online! You can download or stream them here.
Just to recap…
In year one, 2009, we had the good fortune of welcoming Brenda Davis R.D., who is an author of seven books and one of the most well-known experts wordwide on vegan and vegetarian health. She gave two informative and compelling talks. Our presentations that year were rounded out by Montreal’s Yasmin Fudakowska Gow, a yogi and environmental activist who participated in a 2008 Climate Change awareness tour of 21 university campuses across Canada sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation, and Jason Halvorson, an animal right activist whose activism has made waves from coast to coast.
In year two we had some real heavy heavy hitters: Gene Baur, founder of Farm Sanctuary, Dr. Michael Greger M.D., a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues including veganism, and Jae Steele, a Toronto-based registered holistic nutritionist living in Toronto and cookbook authour.
So be sure to listen to them, and share them with your friends and family! And stay tuned for news on Veg Fest ’11, which is being held May 1 at the Glebe Community Centre.
The NCVA is small, but mighty: In 2009 and 2010 we put on two Veg Fest events at Ottawa’s Glebe Community Centre, which attracted a combined 4,000 attendees! Pretty amazing for a tiny, 100% volunteer-run organization.
Each Veg Fest (title sponsored by The Table Vegetarian Restaurant: http://www.thetablerestaurant.com) featured roughly 30 exhibitors, three food demonstrators, and three guest speakers. A silent auction raised funds for the NCVA. Other sponsors have included ZenKitchen, Green Earth Vegetarian Restaurant, Rainbow Natural Foods, and Market Organics.
Our guest speakers have included high profile names including Brenda Davis, RD (www.brendadavisrd.com), Jae Steele (www.getitripe.com), Gene Baur (www.farmsanctuary.org), and Dr. Michael Greger (www.drgreger.org).
We are currently sorting out the details for Veg Fest ’11. Stay tuned for more information!
Veg Fest and The NCVA Vegan Cupcake Challenge is less than two weeks away! Ottawa’s best amateur vegan bakers are no doubt immersed in a frenzy of last-minute baking and testing as they vie for the title of the NCVA Vegan Cupcake Champion and the fabulous prize package that accompanies the prestigious title.
VegOttawa Association 