Regina Vegetarian Society

You’re invited to join the Regina Vegetarian Society at our vegan dineout at Selam Restaurant (2115 Broad Street) at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday 26 June.

If you’re already a vegan or vegetarian and are not a member of our society, this is a great way to meet like-minded people. If you’re working to reduce your meat intake, you’ll be able to try some wonderful vegan Ethiopian food and talk to others about the next steps in your journey toward a plant-based diet.

There is no charge to attend beyond the cost of the meal, which can be had for under $20. Try the vegan combo platter!

If it’s possible for you to RSVP, we would appreciate that (so we can reserve the appropriate number of seats). Try to let us know by Wednesday 25 June. To RSVP or for more information, click here to send us an E-mail.

Memberships will be available ($25) if you are interested in joining.

Date: Saturday 31 May 2008
Place: Craft Room–Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre (2900 13th Avenue)
Time: Doors Open 5:45; Meal Starts 6:15

Admission free! Just bring one vegan dish (no meat, eggs, or dairy) and your own place settings (e.g. plate, cutlery, cup, napkins).

Everyone is welcome, from long-time vegans/vegetarians to those who are just beginning to work toward a more plant-based diet.

Memberships will be available ($25) for those who would like to join, but there’s absolutely no obligation to do so.

“Want to beat the rush on Saturday mornings at The Farmer’s Market? The Green Ranch will be selling a limited number of Community Supported Agriculture baskets this summer. By purchasing a basket, you are guaranteed a supply of fresh naturally-raised produce that will be delivered or picked up at a central location every week for the entire growing season. They will customize your basket to what you need. There will also be special products only available to basket owners. Sign up now. Average weekly cost is $10-$15. For more information, call Tim or Carla Shultz at (306) 722-3326 or tim@thegreenranch.ca. ”

Via Savour Life.

Here’s a great article on how eating a plant-based diet can help the planet: Top 10 Reasons Why It’s Green To Go Vegetarian.

The article starts out as follows:

It is noteworthy that the United Nations and many leading environmental organizations–including the National Audubon Society, the WorldWatch Institute, the Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists–have recognized that raising animals for food damages the environment more than just about anything else that we do. Whether it’s unchecked air or water pollution, soil erosion, or the overuse of resources, raising animals for food is wreaking havoc on the Earth.

There’s some interesting, easy to follow information here for those who are just learning about the impact meat-eating on the environment.

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us at the World’s Biggest Garage Sale! We had a lot of fun and met some wonderful people.

The sale proved to be a good fundraiser for us as well. We’re very grateful to everyone who donated items and also to those who helped us with the sale itself.

We’ll likely return next year, and we’ll be looking for more donations then. So when you do your fall or spring housecleaning, don’t forget to set aside any unwanted items (except clothing) for us. We’ll start collecting in mid-March.

Regina’s Hindu Samaj is holding its annual celebration dinner (Varshik Bhojan). This vegetarian meal is popular among vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike because of the quality of the food, so if you’ve never attended, now is a great time to try!

Date: Saturday 10 May 2008
Location: Regina Inn (1975 Broad Street)
Time: 6:00 p.m. (hors d’oeuvres); 6:45 p.m. (dinner)
Cost: $40 (adult); $20 (child)

To buy tickets call one of the following:

Harjit: 949-3853
Alpana: 585-1230
Anjana: 789-8522
Urmila: 522-6084
Kalpana: 761-1285
Makhan: 352-5562
Himanshu: 546-3406
Jagdish: 789-4174

In addition to the great food there will also be entertainment.

If you’re thinking about experimenting with eating vegetarian, you might like to give it a try for just one day, and 20 March is Meatout Day:

Meatout is an international observance helping individuals evolve to a wholesome, nonviolent diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains. The purpose is to expose the public to the joys and benefits of a plant-based diet, while promoting the availability and selection of meat and dairy alternatives in mainstream grocery stores, restaurants, and catering operations.

Meatout has grown explosively since its inception in 1985 to become the world’s largest annual grassroots diet education campaign. Thousands of caring people in all 50 U.S. states and a host of other countries welcome in the Spring with colorful educational events. These range from simple information tables (’steakouts’), exhibits, and cooking demonstrations to elaborate receptions and festivals. Visitors are asked to “kick the meat habit on March 20 (first day of spring) and explore a wholesome, nonviolent diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.”

After this one day is over, interested people are invited to take part in Meatless Mondays:

To keep the spirit of Meatout alive throughout the year, we’ve developed Meatout Mondays, an e-mail campaign and pledge option. Those who sign up for Meatout Mondays pledge to avoid meat or animal products every Monday for the next six months. During this time, they receive a weekly e-mail containing recipes, product information, encouragement and practical advice.

It’s a gentle way to experiment with vegetarian meals if they’re new to you.

If anyone is a fan of the Star Trek series (especially The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine), you might like to check out the blog Vegan YumYum. She’s begun to create her version of Star Trek recipes–most recently, hasperat (a Bajoran food).

Click here to find her version of hasperat.

We now have a forum for chatting to each other about all things vegetarian and vegan in Regina. Click here to get to it. There’s also a tab at the top of the blog that will take you to the link for it.

Once you’re there, you can read everything that’s posted right away. If you want to post, you’ll have to register (this protects us from spammers). It’s a very quick and simple process–and free.

This is a great place to get to know us a little better, so please come visit and chat.

The Regina Vegetarian Society is holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 15 March 2008 in the basement of the Unitarian Fellowship, 2700 College Avenue (corner of Angus Street and College Avenue). The AGM begins at 6:00 p.m.

In advance of the AGM there will be a vegan potluck. This begins at 5:00 p.m.–bring your favourite vegan dish (no meat, eggs, or dairy). Also bring your own plate and cutlery.

The potluck and AGM are free and open to everyone; new members are welcome to join and vote at the AGM. Membership is $10 per year.

For more information, click here to send us an E-mail.

Here’s a link to what looks to be a great recipe for a vegan omelette.

It’s definitely worth trying!

The Hartford Courant (Connecticut, US) has recently run a story about a second-grader’s stand on behalf of animals:

Recently, my son Noah ran afoul of his school’s curriculum when he refused to classify an animal as a “thing” during a grammar lesson.

Thing, as in “person, place or thing,” a time-worn method of identifying whether something is a noun. Noah, being 7 and an animal lover, would not back down and “correct” his classification of animals, which he felt should be regarded as “beings,” and he was less than fully cordial when his teacher gently insisted he change his response. Noah felt that, rather than “persons, places and things,” the classification system should be “Beings, Places and Things.”

As Noah’s mother, it is my responsibility to instill in Noah the proper habit of cordiality and respect when disagreeing with others. I encouraged him to show greater respect for his teacher in the style of his response, but I also told him I was proud of him for speaking up on behalf of beings who cannot speak up on behalf of themselves.

Language is powerful. I am raising Noah with an abolitionist ethic. He is conscious of the vulnerability experienced by any being on this earth who is regarded as a thing, as an “it,” rather than as a sacred companion in our midst.

Read the rest of the article (Is An Animal A ‘Thing’ or a ‘Being’?) and more of what Noah has to say by clicking here.

Via the most recent issue of The VegE News (published by the Toronto Vegetarian Society).

The Regina Vegetarian Society invites you to a potluck on Saturday 24 November 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre (2900 13th Avenue).

This event is open to the public; everyone is welcome. Admission is free. Please bring a vegan dish to share (no meat, eggs, or dairy products). Please also bring your own plate, cup, and cutlery (and CDs, if you like!).

There will be a short talk on vegetarianism.

For more information, please feel free to E-mail us.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, after her talk on vegetarianism resulted in heckling, hassling in the hallways, and a lack of support from teachers and administration, a Winnipeg teen chose to be homeschooled.

Click here to see the full story.

We’ll be celebrating World Vegetarian Day on Sunday 30 September, and we’re hoping you’ll join us.

We’re meeting for dinner at Selam Ethiopian Restaurant (2115 Broad Street). Drinks are
at 5:30 and dinner is at 6:00 p.m. The buffet will include 8-10 vegan dishes, dessert, and traditional Ethiopian coffee or spiced tea.

Tickets are available at Selam and are $14 in advance or $16 at the door. Children under 2 receive free admission; for those under 12 admission is half price. Those who purchase a RVS membership ($10) will receive a $2 refund on their ticket at the door.

Vegetarians and non-vegetarians are welcome. We hope to see you there!

For more information, send us an E-mail!