Hi again friends 👋

If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved in the activist side of the vegan movement, this is the week to jump in. From strategy potlucks to public outreach during Caribana, a national protest at Sobeys, and We The Free’s full-day Solidarity event in Trinity Bellwoods, there are more ways than usual to show up and take part.

If you’d rather ease in with something low-key, Toronto Black Vegan Festival is back at Stackt Market on Sunday, and Aunty Em’s is doing a midweek pizza pop-up at Thirsty and Miserable.

I’ve also rounded up some news worth knowing, including a milestone for Veg Out, a new Beyond Meat product, and a second location for Soy Boys.

Let’s get into it.

Week of July 31 - Aug 6:

News:

• Soy Boys heads east – The vegan burger joint Soy Boys is gearing up for a Leslieville expansion after a new Instagram handle, @soyboys_leslieville, teased “big things are coming”. While the company hasn’t confirmed details, neighbourhood chatter points to the vacant Samaira’s Kitchen site at 1056 Queen St E—just doors from Honey’s vegan ice-cream shop—hinting at a budding plant-based cluster near Queen and Pape. Opening date and operating hours remain TBA.

• Some news that got past us last month: Seed to Surf nets PETA’s top vegan seafood award – Toronto-based tinned “fish” startup Seed to Surf was named to PETA’s 2025 Vegan Seafood Rankings for its mushroom-based snow crab and celery-root smoked whitefish. The female-founded brand is now stocked at all Whole Foods across North America. (You can find it at Good Rebel ;)

• Veg Out podcast hits 600 episodes – Toronto Vegetarian Association’s long-running community radio show turned podcast marked a major milestone on July 26 with episode “Veg Out 600: Celebrating 600 Episodes!” Recorded at the Met Radio studios, hosts Barbi, Jen, Jeanette, Steve and Sweta reminisce about their 2006 pilot and much more. The 35-minute show, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other players, cements Veg Out’s status as Canada’s longest-running vegan audio program and a fixture of Toronto’s plant-based scene.

Events:

• Toronto Black Vegan Festival
  📅 Date: Sunday, August 3, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
  📍 Location: STACKT Market, 28 Bathurst Street
  🎟️ Admission: Free

  Organized by Black Vegans of Toronto, this annual festival is a celebration of plant-based living through a Black cultural lens. The event features a diverse lineup of Black-owned vegan food vendors, offering dishes inspired by African and Caribbean traditions. Attendees can also explore a variety of plant-based products, including skincare, wellness items, and fresh produce from Black farmers. The festival aims to promote health, sustainability, and community empowerment within the Black community.

• Aunty Em’s Vegan Pizza Pop-Up
  📅 Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025
  🕒 Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
  📍 Location: Thirsty And Miserable, 2102 Dundas St. W.

  Aunty Em’s is parking its mobile ovens at the beloved Dundas West dive for one night only, serving fresh vegan slices that pair with the bar’s craft-beer taps. No tickets—just show up hungry.

Activism:

• Vegan Outreach During Caribana Festival
  📅 Date: Friday, August 1, 2025
  🕒 Time: Meet-up at 2:30 PM; outreach runs through the afternoon
  📍 Location: Sankofa Square, 1 Dundas Street East
  Canadian Grassroots Animal Rights (CAGAR) will host a friendly leafleting table opposite the H&M entrance while Caribana festivities fill the square. A relaxed way to reach thousands of parade-goers with a plant-based message.

• Vegan Outreach Workshop (We The Free × Wishbone)
  📅 Date: Friday, August 1, 2025
  🕒 Time: Doors at 6:30 PM; workshop 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
  📍 Location: Wishbone Animal Rights Lab, Suite 308, 600 Bay Street
  Sharpen your one-to-one advocacy skills before Saturday’s Solidarity Day. This in-person session of WTF’s “Inspiring Behaviour Change” training is free and open to all activists.

• Animal Justice: Sobeys Cage-Free Protest & “Brave the Cage” Challenge
  📅 Date: Saturday, August 2, 2025
  🕒 Time: TBA (event runs about one hour)
  📍 Location: Sobeys, 22 Fort York Blvd

  Animal Justice is hosting a peaceful protest to urge Sobeys to phase out battery-cage eggs. Highlights include the “Brave the Cage” stunt—volunteers spend five minutes in a cramped wire crate and receive $20 for their empathy—plus signs, banners and outreach to shoppers. All materials are provided; just bring your voice.

• WTF Solidarity Day
  📅 Date: Sunday, August 3, 2025
  🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (arrive 10:45 AM for briefing)
  📍 Location: Trinity Bellwoods Park, 790 Queen Street West
  A city-wide day of action bringing together activists for a six-hour outreach blitz followed by a social wrap-up. Expect the 3-Minute Movie Challenge, conversation circles, and plenty of community-building.

The Toronto Vegan Restaurants Guide 2025

World Vegan News:

• Beyond Meat (which is rebranding to simply “Beyond”) introduced Beyond Ground, a neutral-flavoured plant-protein crumble made from just four ingredients—fava-bean protein, potato protein, water and psyllium husk. Each 113 g serving delivers 27 g of protein, 4 g of fibre and contains no added oils or saturated fat. Sold plain or in three pre-seasoned varieties (Tuscan Tomato, Chipotle Pineapple and Korean BBQ), the product aims to serve as a “blank canvas” rather than mimic a specific meat. Online sales start in the U.S. in August 2025, with wider retail distribution to follow, marking the brand’s pivot toward cleaner-label, high-protein offerings.

In the Near Future:

*(more info will come closer to the dates)

• A Fundraiser for Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary: MONKEY MAGIC
  📅 Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025
  🕒 Time: 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
  📍 Location: GLB Brewpub, 11 Lower Jarvis St. Units 5-8
  🎟️ Tickets: $110 – includes two 11oz pours of beer, vegan and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, live music by Big Night Out, and access to a monkey art auction (It is unclear how to buy tickets though…)

  GLB Brewpub is hosting a special fundraiser in support of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, home to 23 rescued primates including the artistic Pockets Warhol. Guests can expect fresh beer, plant-based bites, live tunes, and the chance to bid on original monkey-made art. All proceeds go toward sanctuary care and operations.

• Conscious Coffee Party (Round 2)
  📅 Date: Sunday, August 17, 2025
  🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
  📍 Location: Centre for Social Innovation – Spadina, 192 Spadina Ave.
  🎟️ Tickets: Starting at $15 via Luma

  A laid-back Sunday meetup where you can sip free coffee and tea, sample vegan bites from local vendors, dance to a live DJ set, and swap low-waste, plant-based living tips—plus door-prize draws and other freebies.

• Vegan Night Market

  📅 Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025

  🕒 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

  📍 Location: Balmy Beach

  A free, open-air night market on the lakefront featuring plant-based street food, local artisans, live music, and complimentary sunset yoga and sound-bath sessions—perfect for an end-of-summer evening by the water.

• Vegandale Toronto 2025
  📅 Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
  📍 Location: Woodbine Park
  🎟️ Tickets available: Here ($$ increase after today)
  Vegandale returns to Toronto for another full day of food, music, art, and ethical consumerism—all 100% vegan. While specific vendors and performers have yet to be announced, past events have featured global plant-based brands, bold branding, and an unapologetically vegan atmosphere.

• VegTO Fest 2025
  📅 Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025 (11:00 AM – 7:00 PM) & Sunday, September 21, 2025 (11:00 AM – 6:00 PM)
  📍 Location: Nathan Phillips Square.
  🎟️ Free admission
  🌱 VegTO Fest announced it will return for its 40th anniversary with the theme Eat. Innovate. Transform. Expect two full days of plant-based food vendors, guest speakers, and community-driven experiences focused on the future of sustainable and compassionate living. More details to come closer to the date.

• Animal Law & Advocacy Conference 2025
  📅 Date: Friday to Sunday, September 26–28, 2025
  🕒 Time: Full-day programming; Friday includes a student conference and evening reception
  📍 Location: Toronto Metropolitan University
  🎟️ Tickets: Available at alaconference.ca
  The 7th annual Animal Law & Advocacy Conference, hosted by Animal Justice, returns to Toronto this fall with three days of sessions, networking, and plant-based catering. Formerly known as the Canadian Animal Law Conference, the event has broadened its focus to include advocates and community leaders beyond the legal profession. Programming kicks off Friday with a dedicated student day and a welcome reception, followed by two days of workshops and panels featuring Canadian and international experts in animal law and advocacy. Early bird tickets are now available online.
  

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