Quebec petition - Vegan Option Canada

Join us in urging our government to take responsibility for our collective future.

We call on our government to establish a center for the prevention of future crises. This center should give priority to the study and research on the link between animal agriculture and pandemics, zoonoses, climate emergencies and ecosystem collapse, it should make this research available to the general public and the public media, and it should act accordingly by putting in place the necessary legislation to prevent future crises.

We also ask our government to at a minimum help by making plant-based options ubiquitous for all individuals who have decided to protect their health, the future of their children, and to reduce their ecological footprint by using more plant-based alternatives as an individual choice.

Plant-based meal option in Quebec

Text of the petition

CONSIDERING THAT the supply of plant foodstuffs in public canteens in Quebec is limited and sometimes non-existent;
CONSIDERING THAT the lack of varied vegan options is a major obstacle to the implementation of the new Canada Food Guide, which recommends consuming more vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits and nuts and less meat and cheese;
WHEREAS the lack of vegan options violates the rights of vegans by forcing them to consume animal products against their conscience, which violates Section 2A of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees citizens the fundamental right to freedom of conscience;
WHEREAS our food choices have a significant impact on public health and the environment (greenhouse gases, water pollution and waste, antibiotic resistance, zoonoses, chronic non-communicable diseases, etc.) and it is the government’s duty to protect the future of future generations;
WHEREAS the majority of the Quebec population would like to reduce their consumption of animal products in favour of plant foods, but considers it difficult to do so in many contexts;

We, the undersigned, call on the Government of Quebec to pass legislation to require the introduction of a variety of vegan options in Quebec’s public canteens (schools, hospitals, prisons, government buildings, etc.)

Add your voice

Options de repas à base de plantes Québec

Hello!

Most pandemics are caused by germs that jump from animals to humans.

The main causes of zoonotic infections are wet markets, factory farms and human encroachment on animal habitat.

The covid 19 pandemic could have been prevented. For decades, scientists have warned of zoonotic infections, and nothing was done.

Animal agriculture is a major cause of the climate crisis.

Canada should lead in taking decisive action.  As concerned citizens we demand:

The government fund research in:

- The cause of zoonotic infections, and the best measures to mitigate risk
- The relation of animal agriculture to the climate crisis, and the best measures to attenuate the degradation of the planet.
- The results should be made public, and decisive action based on scientific findings should be implemented.

Plant-based meal options 
- should be offered at all public cafeterias under federal, provincial, and municipal jurisdiction, such as hospitals, universities, senior centres, and schools.   
- the government should facilitate and promote the accessibility of plant-based meal options everywhere.

Adequate planning is not a luxury, it is an imperative.

Improving health and longevity of citizens, reducing cruelty to animals, and saving the planet and all of its inhabitants from calamitous degradation is our moral responsibility.

The government must take decisive action before it is too late.

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Joignez Option Végane Canada

1,021 signatures = 20% of goal

5,000

Timeline of updates

Launch of the above web petition – January 07, 2019
Launch of an official petition at the government level – September 3, 2019
End date for signing the government petition. – December 3, 2019
- Number of signatories: 1298
Government Petition to the National Assembly – March 10, 2020

A negative response regarding the petition was sent by André Lamontagne (Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) to Simon Jolin-Barette (read more).
A response was sent to André Lamontagne from OVC by Cymry Gomery. – March 23, 2020
A negative response to the petition was received from Horacio Arruda (National Director of Public Health and Assistant Deputy Minister). – June 3, 2020

Future Strategy

Our past setbacks and the lack of cooperation from the government have not deterred our motivation.

During this difficult period, more than ever, precisely because of the crises we are experiencing that could have been avoided, we will continue to put pressure on our government until they accept that access to plant-based meals is a necessity.

In his last letter, Horacio Arruda tells us :

There are no Quebec or Canadian data available on the proportion of the population that is vegetarian or vegan.

Horacio Arruda - Le directeur national de santé publique

This is not true.

On July 18, 2018, Canadian television network CTV announced:

“Vegetarians and vegans now account for nearly 10 percent of Canada’s population, and their increased presence is forcing the restaurant and meat production industries to consider new approaches. According to research from Dalhousie University, there are 2.3 million vegetarians in Canada, up from 900,000 15 years ago. Another 850,000 people consider themselves vegan. Those two numbers add up to 9.4 per cent of the Canadian population.”

In 2019 and 2020, these numbers have increased. According to a 2019 Nielsen report, 20% of Canadian households consider themselves vegetarian or vegan.

Furthermore, many other people are actively trying to eliminate or reduce meat and dairy from their diets:

We need your help and support.

Please add your voice up above, if you have not yet done so.
Please send the email up above or a similar one to your government representatives.
Thank you for sharing this campaign.

Without your voice, we cannot succeed.

If you want to find out more about this project and how you can help, feel free to contact Alyssa Berris, the coordinator of Vegan Option Quebec. Find us on Facebook, at Options Véganes Québec.

Vegan Option Canada