Our first regional newsletter - Canada
Dear Vegan Leader,
Welcome to our new regional newsletter for vegan corporate professionals in Canada. This quarterly update is designed to inform, inspire, engage, and share resources within our local community. Our mission at Vegan Leaders in Corporate Management (VLCM) is to empower employees to bring plant-based initiatives into their workplace. By doing this, we also help companies strengthen their environmental and social commitment, and raise corporate awareness of the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
My name is Gillian, and I am the Regional Engagement Manager for Canada. I am based In Vancouver and look forward to getting to know all of you across our big country. I have had a chance to connect with a lot of you on LinkedIn already, but if not, feel free to reach out and say hello!
In Canada, we have members all across the country, some of whom work for RBC, Air Canada, Desjardins, and several government agencies.
Many of us aspire to:
Be agents of change to promote sustainable, healthful and compassionate eating in and beyond our workplaces
Meaningfully connect with other vegans for social support
For member privacy, I am not sharing the list with names. However, if you’d like a few individual contacts for networking, you can enter your request here. At VLCM, we like to see these kinds of requests:
Names of other vegans working at the same company as you to start a plant-based employee group
Names of other vegan professionals in your area to make new friends
🌱 Want to inspire a positive change in your workplace?
Consider presenting the idea of your workplace adopting the model Greener By Default, in which plant-based meals become the default with meat and dairy available on request. Many companies are eager to implement sustainable policies and this program is an effective way to do just that. Companies like LinkedIn have successfully implemented this model (see video), cutting meat intake by half through the program.
You could also consider proposing the idea to other sustainably-minded employees and sign the email from all of you to show broader support for the initiative.
Please feel free to copy and paste this template to your manager to advocate for Greener by Default in your workplace.
📍News from around Canada
Animal Justice has been granted permission to intervene in a landmark discrimination case involving vegan firefighter Adam Knauff. The case will determine if ethical veganism qualifies as a "creed" under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Knauff, who was denied appropriate vegan food while fighting forest fires, argues that his ethical beliefs should be legally protected. Animal Justice will advocate that ethical veganism meets the criteria for creed, potentially setting a precedent for broader legal recognition of non-religious belief systems. Read more here.
📣 Upcoming events
BC:
March 12 - Vancouver: Vegan Night Market
July 5 - Nanaimo: Vegfest Nanimo
August 16 - Victoria: Vegfest Victoria
ON:
May 10-11 - Toronto: Planted Expo
September 6 - Toronto: Vegandale
QC:
November 9 - Montreal: Montreal Vegan Festival 2025
Have an event or vegan workplace win you would like to have shared in our next newsletter? Please reach out to me by email or connect on LinkedIn.
Sincerely,
Gillian Mullan-Boudreau
Regional Engagement Manager - Canada
