The McGill Vegan

Company/Author

Editor's Note: About the Newsletter

Dear Readers,
Welcome to the first issue of the Mc­
Gill Vegan! We are a student­run
newsletter publishing articles on ve­
ganism, animal rights, activism,
and philosophy at McGill.
We recognize that it’s sometimes
challenging to find places to eat ve­
gan on campus when your choices
are limited to a hallway vending ma­
chine and a Chartwell's cafeteria.
The resource guide on pages 3 and
4 is one effort to help with that.
Don't get overwhelmed! In our soci­
ety it is impossible to entirely avoid
animal products. The idea is not to
be “pure” of animal or other unsus­
tainable products. Veganism, in the
sense of a sustainable, respectful
lifestyle is a path, not a place, and
what is important is not necessarily
how far along we are, but that we
are walking.
In this issue we have an article on
vegan role models by Jesse Hahm,
an anarchist critique of the animal
rights movement by Dave Howden,
a tale of why the voting age should
be lowered by Laura Jane, an art­
icle on vegan fashion by Amanda
Hardman, a review of the best­
seller Skinny Bitch by Marissa
Bronfman, a review by Rhiannon
Gwyn of Colin Spencer's A History
of Vegetarianism, and an interview
with a local SHAC activist.
Special thanks to Emma Chait and
Karl Sutker for all of the editing
assistance.
Again, welcome to our first issue!
Please send your comments, ques­
tions and submissions to:
themcgillvegan@gmail.com
Winter 2008
Issue 1
Animal Liberties at McGill
Animal Liberties is based out of
McGill University in Montréal,
Québec. Its mission is to:
•Stimulate dialogue and raise
awareness of animal rights issues
by engaging in research, outreach
and activism on campus and within
the local community.
•Educate the McGill community
about the ethical implications of
the production and consumption of
nonhuman animals.
•Encourage the transition to a
sustainable vegan lifestyle.

Vegan Role Models

It's nice to have some role models when trying out
something new. When first casting my eyes star­ward in
hopes of finding my own personal vegan, I stayed near the
home front, settling upon Peter Singer, Princeton academic
and author of Animal Liberation. He covered the ethical
bases scrupulously, and offered my analytic mind serious
artillery with which to battle any animal exploitery loaded
argument that might try to sway me from the path. But how
fickle the stomach! Soon certain cravings needed more than a
utilitarian proof to subdue. I needed something more
glamorous, something sexier. Pamela Anderson presented
herself on a fortuitous late night internet binge. And why not?
She was rich, famous, and had certainly appealed to many
others in the past. Recognizing the fact that a well sought
after social image is something that propels millions of
Americans into action every day, I figured it might work for
me, too. But again, I had chosen poorly. Fashioning myself
after Pamela, the buxom blonde, would force me to entertain
some serious gender identity issues. Distraught, on the verge
of animalia perfidy, I did the only thing I know that
effectively calms my nerves: cranking out gangsta rap on the
stereo. And behold, the hymns that washed over me...
I don't eat no meat, no dairy, no sweets/only ripe
vegetables, fresh fruit and whole wheat/I'm from the old
school, my household smell like soul food, bro curried
falafel, barbecued tofu no fish though, no candy bars, no
cigarettes only ganja and fresh­squeezed juice from oranges
and then the chorus kicks in...
Lentil soup is mental fruit/And ginger root is good
for the yout’/Fresh veg­e­table with the mayatl stew/Sweet
yam fries with the green calalloo/Careful how you season
and prepare your foods/Cause you don’t wanna lose vitamins
and mina­rules
(dead prez, from Be Healthy, off of Let's Get Free)
The two members of the group dead prez are full­
fledged vegans. And so is Andre 3000, of Outkast. Now here
were some folks I could look up to. They were charming,
articulate, rich, and all around badasses. Nevermind the fact

(cont. p. 2)
1
that I might have as much in common with them as I do with
Pamela. Everyone, vegans included, needs a star to look up ­Jesse Hahm
to and emulate. I encourage you to find your own, who, U1 Philosophy
despite what others might say about their character, will
prove to be a strong enough attraction to keep you on the
right path.

Animal Rights: A Social Movement or a Religious One?

A successful animal rights movement must be
structured along the lines of a social movement, rather than
those of a religious one. The fundamental difference I
identify between these two possible directions for us is the
choice between orienting ourselves to strong collective action
or the propagation of a lifestyle choice, an individual­
oriented drive to convert.
This is far from an argument against veganism.
Veganism remains fundamental to an animal rights struggle.
As opposed to other liberal, individual­oriented, consumer­
based movements, veganism is a form of direct action. It
directly accomplishes an individual­sized portion of the
abolition of animal use and as vegans live out their lives as
such, they build alternative structures to replace those of a
culture which exploits animals, by re­examining human
nutrition, agriculture, medicine and other practices.
But a world of vegans is different from a vegan
world. We remain too heavily focussed on the decision of
individuals to adopt a vegan lifestyle. This hurts our
movement by de­emphasizing structural change (a problem
in all liberal causes), change which is essential to the
achievement of liberation. No vegan is completely
uninvolved in the exploitation of animals in a world of
systemic exploitation.
This also hurts our movement by alienating us from
other social justice movements. Obviously fault for this is
due to activists on both sides of the divide between
movements for human and animal liberation. But an animal
rights movement that tends to ignore the intersectionality of
social justice issues engages in absurd arguments about
which issue is most important and turns a blind eye to the
oppression perpetuated within its ranks, has sealed itself off
from solidarity with other movements.
Religious­style movements are individualist,
secessionist, and uncritical of themselves. Social movements,
at their best, integrate collective action toward a reshaping of
institutions with individual change of and by the members or
the group. There are sections of all movements, including the
one for nonhuman animals, that orient themselves too far
toward structures and ignore the actions taken in their
personal lives. While this may be necessary for effective
change, not to mention personal integrity, our corner of this
culture, the one which champions veganism, is so
unbalanced in favour of individual, consumer­based, liberal­
type “action” that we need not fear swinging rapidly into the
hypocrisy of “animal­loving” meat­eaters.
To borrow an idea from the much reviled Peter
Singer, being vegan is step zero. While it does require some
effort, it mostly entails using different cookbooks, going to
different restaurants, and buying different products at the
supermarket. While these choices are important, they
constitute hardly any more effort than any other diet. The
question we, as animal rights activists, must ask ourselves is
how we will use our collective strength to change the
structures that enable and perpetuate animal exploitation. For
me, one of the important steps in using this strength is
integration into wider social movements, an integration
which is neither the self­absorbed use of social justice
movements by the AR community nor the postponement of
animal liberation until after human liberation has been
achieved. To coin a phrase, it's one fight.
­Dave Howden
U0 Arts
Criticism encouraged:
dave.howden@gmail.com

Of Mice and Children

February 5th marked an
important day for animals and
democracy in Canada, albeit not in
Ottawa. While federal politicians
continued to dilute any substantial
attempts to revise animal cruelty
legislation from its archaic and
ineffective 1892 statute, actual progress
was being made by unexpected
citizens.
Gathered in the Montreal
Sciences Centre, 120 young people
aged 10­12 were challenged to think
critically about animal use in research.
Their mission: to decide whether or not
to accept the installation of a state­of­
the­ art animal testing facility in their
fictional town.
After a morning of workshops
addressing the various components of
the debate, the students sought the
opinions of six experts: two researchers
who test on animals, a University
Animal Care Committee
representative, a lawyer who
specializes in animal law and a pair of
animal rights activists.
In many of their questions
and comments, the young citizens
displayed an empathy with other
animals that most adults would find
absurd, even laughable. They didn't
need to see graphic pictures or videos
to be persuaded that keeping a living,
sentient being in a cage is wrong.
They didn't even need to be convinced
(cont. p. 5)

2
 The McGill Vegan Resource Guide
Vegan­Friendly Restaurants in Montreal:
Unable to make a
long­term
Aux Vivres ­ 4631 St. Laurent (between Villeneuve and Mont­Royal) ­ (514)

commitment? Try
842­3479: This 100% vegan restaurant in the Plateau has a wide variety of

fostering!
vegan dishes, smoothies, and baked goods. We love the BLT on chapati.
Casa del Popolo ­ 4873 St. Laurent (at Villeneuve) ­ (514) 284­3804: This

The Society for the

cool cafe and music venue also has vegan food on the menu.

Prevention of Cruelty to
Chuch and ChuChai ­ 4088 St. Denis (at Duluth) ­ (514) 843­4194: If you like

Animals (SPCA) needs

Thai food or mock meats, you'll love it here. While they both have the same

volunteers to provide
menu, Chuch is cheaper and also has take­out.

short­term in­home care

La Faim du Monde ­ 4110 St. Denis (at Duluth) ­ (514) 510­4244:

for friendly dogs, cats,

International Cuisine with vegan options. We recommend the Indian Thali.

rabbits, and other

Le Commensal ­ 1720 St. Denis (at Ontario) ­ (514) 845­2627, 1204 McGill

animals in need until

College ­ (514) 871­1480: This pay­by­weight veg buffet has a little of

they can be placed for

everything. Vegan options are marked with a "V". Students receive 10% off.

adoption. Food and

Lola Rosa ­ 545 Milton ­ (514) 287­9337: This cute and cozy vegetarian cafe

supplies may be
is just steps from McGill. Most dishes can be made vegan.

provided. Fostering can

The Rabbit Hole Café ­ 3625 Aylmer ­ Located just steps from McGill at the

last from a few days to

Yellow Door, this cafe has $1 vegetarian lunches at 1pm every Frday. They

several months. To
are nearly always vegan.

learn more about pet

Tiende Santé ­ 279 Duluth ­ (514) 876­4481: This store and cafe has a large

fostering or the SPCA,

selection of vegan mock meats and organic teas.

visit www.ultra.ca/spca
Yuan ­ 400 Sherbrooke (at St. Denis) ­ (514) 848­0513: This Buddhist

or call (450) 663­3255

vegetarian restaurant has a great lunch buffet and a small store in the back.

Vegan Finds on Campus: (subject to frequent changes) x.224.

McConnell Engineering (EUS Frostbite and General Store) Look for
vegan sorbet and encourage them to get some soy ice cream!!
Leacock Building (AUS Snax) Cornuts, Tostitos and salsa, Ms. Vickie’s
regular chips, various seed and nut mixes, Dad’s cookies, Oreos,
EQUITA fair trade dark chocolate bars and licorice.
MacDonald­Harrington Building (Architecture Café) While
unfortunately now under McGill control, this much­loved cafe serves
vegan roti sandwiches, chili and zaatars.
Shatner Building
(The Midnight Kitchen) A favourite for vegans and nonvegans alike, the
Kitchen serves free/by donation vegan meals daily at 12:30pm. Don't
forget to bring your own Tupperware! Location: 3rd Floor.
(Al­Taib) Located in Gert’s Bar, this little place is cheap and fast. All­
dressed zaatar sandwiches and falafels are our favourites.
(Tiki­Ming) Tofu on rice and fried vegetables are vegan. Location: 2nd
floor.
(Cultures) Vegan options include veggie paté sandwiches with mustard,
bean salad, green salad with vinaigrette, taboulé and couscous.
(Franx Supreme) Just in case you're craving a little grease, they have
hashbrowns, fries, and spaghetti with veggie sauce.
Thomson House: This graduate student resto has tofu burgers and
salad. The daily specials are sometimes vegan.
And for those late nights in the library... Miss Vickie's original recipe
chips, Plain and All Dressed ruffles, Plantain Snacks, Viva Chips, Nature
Valley Crunch bars (contain honey), smoked almonds, jolly ranchers,
nibs and raisins are available in most vending machines.
Buying Vegan Groceries
(Some of our Favourites)
Marché Lobo: 3509 ave. du Parc ­ (514)
843­7737: Located close to McGill, this
small food market has many affordable
vegan foods. Soy, almond and rice milks
are very cheap!
Segal's Market: 4001 St. Laurent ­ (514)
845­4716: Probably the cheapest market in
Montreal for vegan treats, our favourites
include soy feta, ice cream, and hemp
protein. Unfortunately their fresh veggies
are not organic.
Frenco: 3985 St. Laurent ­ (514) 285­1319:
Located next to Segal's Market, this place is
good for buying in bulk ­ dried fruit, spices,
nuts, grains, beans, nuts, tea, shampoo.
Le Frigo Vert: 2130 Mackay ­ (514) 848­
7586: This not­for­profit natural food store is
run by the Concordia Student Union and
has a lot of affordable bulk goods and local
veggies.
McGill's Organic Campus: Located on the
2nd floor of the Shatner Building, place

Helpful Hint: The vegetarian samosas sold by various

orders for a basket of fresh, local and

clubs on campus for fundraising are usually vegan!

organic veggies on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 6
pm. They also sell a variety of vegan baked
goods and Ethiopian treats!

3
 Animal Liberties Suggested Reading List
To get you started, here are some good reads available on campus (for free!)

1) Adams, C., Animals and Women (Humanities and Social Sciences Library: HV 4711 A59 1995) ­ In both books, Adams
analyses the parallels between objectification of animals and of women in our society.
2) Adams, C., The Pornography of Meat (Humanities and Social Sciences Library: HM 636 A33 2003)
3) Beers, D., For the Prevention of Cruelty: the History and Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States
(Life Sciences: HV4764 B44 2006)
4) Campbell, T.C. and T.M. Campbell II, The China Study (St. Mary's Hospital Library: RA 784 C191 2006) ­ This
fascinating book describes the conversion of a medical researcher raised on a dairy farm to full veganism for health
reasons, complete with comprehensive references.
5) Coetzee, J.M., The Lives of Animals (Life Sciences Library: PR 9369.3 C58 L59 1999) ­ A mixture of fiction and non­
fiction from this Nobel prizewinner and other commentators, including Singer, on the fundamental argument between
veg*ns and meat­eaters.
6) Francione, G., Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog? (Nahum Gelber Law Library: HV 4764 F74
2000) ­ A strong starting point for learning about the abolitionist standpoint, by a professor of law and philosophy at Rutgers.
7) Nocella, A.J, and S. Best, Terrorists or Freedom Fighters? Reflections on the Liberation of Animals (Life Sciences
Library: HV4930 T47 2004)
8) Regan, T., Empty Cages: Facing the Challenge of Animal Rights (Nahum Gelber Law: HV 4764 R44 2004)
9) Regan, T., The Case for Animal Rights (Life Sciences Library: HV 4708 R43 2004)
10) Singer, P., Animal Liberation (Nahum Gelber Law Library: HV 4708 S56 2002) ­ First published in 1975, Animal
Liberation describes a philosophy of the animal rights movement.
11) Singer, P., The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter (Mac Campus Library: TX357 S527 2006)
12) Spencer, C., The Heretic's Feast: A History of Vegetarianism (Humanities and Social Sciences Library: TX 392 S72
1995) ­ Spencer's book is reviewed in this issue of the McGill Vegan. It covers the history of the vegetarian in opposition to
the prevailing dogma.
13) Torres, B., Making a Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights (Life Sciences Library: HV4708 T67 2007)
14) Walters, K. and L. Portmess, Ethical Vegetarianism: From Pythagoras to Peter Singer (Humanities and Social
Sciences: TX392 E84 1999)
Get Involved!
Online Resources
Aequo Animo
The internet makes veganism easier than ever before, by connecting vegans all over aequoanimo@mail.com
the world and giving many access to great vegan recipes and other resources. The http://aequoanimo.com
following sites are a great place to start:
Podcasts
Animal Liberties at
Websites: Information www.veganfreakradio.com
McGill
www.veganoutreach.org www.animalvoices.ca/home
animalliberties@gmail.com
www.vegemontreal.org www.compassionatecooks.com
www.animalliberties.co.nr
www.veganquebec.net www.veganradio.com
Concordia Animal
www.happycow.net (restaurant guide) www.goveganradio.com
Rights Association
cara_animalrights@yahoo.
Recipes and Food blogs Animals and the Law
com
www.vegweb.com www.animallaw.com
www.caraonline.org
www.veganlunchbox.blogspot.com www.abolitionistapproach.com
The Global Action
www.veganyumyum.com www.lclark.edu/org/ncal/
Network
www.blog.fatfreevegan.com
contact@gan.ca
www.gan.ca
Vegan community and forums
The Montreal Vegetarian
www.veganfreaks.net/forum
Association
www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum
info@vegemontreal.org
www.veganrepresent.com
www.vegemontreal.org

Animals in the Media

www.dawnwatch.com
www.arkangelweb.org
that we've perfected alternatives. "We
went on the moon," shyly noted one
student, "I think we can find
alternatives to animals."
In The Lives of Animals, J.M.
Coetzee's character Elizabeth Costello
states that "There are people who have
the capacity to imagine themselves as
someone else, there are people who
have no such capacity (when the lack is
extreme, we call them psycopaths), and
there are people who have the capacity
but choose not to exercise it." While
there is no doubt that many of the
students were horrified at the thought
of their cats or dogs being confined and
abused in labs, many were able to go a
step further and actually imagine
themselves there. In the seemingly
simple words of one participant, "If I
was a mouse I wouldn't want to be
tested on."
At the end of the day, the
young citizens decided to allow the
construction of a research laboratory
that would advance science without
doing any nonhuman animal
experimentation. If only 10 year­olds
could vote; perhaps then we wouldn't
have useless animal cruelty bills like S­
203 introduced into parliament.
­Laura Jane U3 Political Science
and Anthropology.
To discuss the frustrating history of
animal cruelty legislation in Canada
over whiskey, email her at
laura.jane@mail.mcgill.ca.

An Ethical Question: What qualifies as vegan in fashion?

Vegan fashion is very simple. and accessories fabricated by the fashion design as a better choice than
We do not wear anything that comes nimble fingers of a low­wage labourer purchasing new petroleum­based
from an animal, period. Or do we? are clearly more harmful than fifty­cent synthetics or chemically­treated
While it is obvious that sporting a fur second hand scarves originally made fabrics. While second hand stores like
coat or floor­length leather jacket will by someone's grandma with extra Value Village, Goodwill, the Salvation
catch the ire, or at least a questioning T.L.C. That being said, the relatively Army are still corporate institutions,
glance from veg*n peers, what about new and rapidly­expanding market for they often aim to help out local
less flamboyant items such as vintage organic, fair­trade and responsibly­ communities in addition to diverting
wool socks, pashmina (goat wool from made items is an important alternative, waste from landfills.
Himalaya) scarves, or leather shoes? but this approach does not aid in A downfall for the vintage
diminishing consumption levels and it vegan is that by wearing an animal
The increasing awareness is sometimes difficult to afford for the product, one could be encouraging the
about planet­wide environmental average low­income student. industry to continue producing and
degradation has blurred the previously The vintage vegan outlook may non­verbally encourage others
clear boundary of a strict veganism in has an ends­justify­the­means around them that it is acceptable to
fashion. Two main camps have (utilitarian) outlook. The vintage vegan wear animal products. Even if you are
developed: the more Kantian concept wears and uses select animal products someone who wears exclusively
that we as vegans cannot wear anything with caution to avoid contributing vintage animal products, at least some
that has come from an animal, and the financially to exploitative capitalism or other people are bound to generalize
more utilitarian "vintage creating waste. For the your fashion choice to seek out and
vegan" camp that has raised vintage vegan, the purchase new items made from animal
some serious questions about environment is seen as a products. Whatever side of the coin
consumption that are difficult higher cause, because wild you are on, there are many options for
to ignore. animal habitats are hip and stylish clothes and accessories.
The impact which degraded by pollution, and
comes along with purchasing both captive and wild ­Amanda Hardman
as a Kantian vegan is that animals are negatively 3rd Year Philosophy,
sometimes, a new factory­ impacted by global York University
made item is more harmful www.supayana.com warming. The vintage
Photo courtesy of Yana Gorbulsky
amanda.lynn.hardman@gmail.com
in terms of labour and environmental vegan sees wearing a second­hand tattooedvegan.etsy.com
degradation than a vintage choice. wool scarf, leather shoes or re­using
Fresh from a factory in China, clothing vintage animal­derived fabrics in

Review of Skinny Bitch by Freedman and Barnouin

The debut of Skinny Bitch’s
“no­nonsense, tough­love guide for
savvy girls who want to stop eating
crap and start looking fabulous” was
greeted with widespread acclaim and
became a popular fad among
Hollywood’s hip and trendy. Although
the initial premise of the book seemed
to some just another recycled and
repackaged diet scheme, Skinny Bitch
professed not a diet, but a lifestyle
transformation, a transformation that
would benefit not only one’s waistline,
but one’s overall well being, and the
well being of animals and the planet.
No small task but Skinny Bitch
successfully managed to serve up a
witty and persuasive guide for
adopting a vegan lifestyle.
Eager to challenge the typical
stereotype of vegans, the authors

(cont. p. 6)
5
asserted that they were not “raised by
hippie­crunchy­granola parents” and
became vegans after learning about the
despicable treatment of farm animals.
They experienced “big changes" in
their "minds, attitudes, health, moods
and asses when we gave up carcass”,
and believe that you, the reader, can
too. Skinny Bitch gives a brief but
powerful argument for why humans
should stop eating meat, citing animal
cruelty, scary health effects, and
environmental reasons as compelling
Review of Colin Spencer's A History of Vegetarianism
Colin Spencer's A History of
Vegetarianism is a fascinating, if
somewhat heavy­handed, review of the
different manifestations of vegetarian
ideology throughout history,
specifically as contrasted with
dominant paradigms.
Spencer begins by dicussing
the concept of transmigration of the
soul in early Hindu and Greek
philosophy. The belief that all living
creatures possessed an immortal soul,
which could move between humans
and animals through rebirth, led to the
conclusion that vegetarianism was
necessary for spiritual purity. This idea
was turned on its head with the
establishment of dogmatic state­
enforced Christianity, which taught that
only humans possessed this soul.
Spencer lays much of the blame on
Paul, arguing that the Nag Hammadi
and Qumran scrolls discovered in the
1940s reveal a Jesus more in line with
Gnostic beliefs, which included
vegetarianism. Spencer suggests that
“[i]f this Jesus had been publicised,
praised and believed in, the history of
the relationship between human kind
and animals in the last two thousand
years would probably have been vastly
different. Imagine a Christian religion
which had colonised half the world and
was basically vegetarian and akin to
Buddhism." In addition to not eating
meat­­itself regarded as a sin­­the
Gnostic tradition was also
diametrically opposed to Paul's
teaching in Corinthians that women
should keep silent in church and be
subordinate; it encouraged the
evidence.
Going vegan is no simple
task, especially for seasoned meat
eaters, so Freedman and Barnouin
included a list of healthy and tasty
vegan foods, and daily menus that
readers can try for the first month of
their lifestyle transformation. Skinny
Bitch is a quick but incredibly
insightful read that I recommend to
anyone and everyone. Whether or not
you’re considering becoming a vegan,
Skinny Bitch will equip you with
participation of women, often
benefitting from it via the support of
wealthy widows and their families. In
response, the authorities persecuted the
heretics. There is even an account of a
group of heretics being hanged for
refusing to kill a chicken!
The reasons for the Gnostics'
vegetarianism was very different from
the reasons behind the Pythagorean
tradition, or those behind veg*nism
today. Starting with the Manicheans,
the Gnostic sects believed that all flesh
derived from the realm of darkness and
that to eat meat would weigh their
souls down. It seems that the well­
being of the affected animals did not
enter until the Renaissance, which is
also when environmental concerns
were first voiced. Some concept of the
rights of man had to be established
before vegetarianism could gain the
ground it has now, although this did not
prevent certain thinkers from reaching
their conclusions.
Along the historical journey
summarised above, Spencer offers
some wonderful biographies of
vegetarians and their opponents. I
loved the story of Da Vinci's repulsion
at meat­eating being subjected to
psychological analysis by Freud and
then Eissler, who concluded that his
statements of disgust
“King of animals ­ as thou
hast described him ­­ I should rather
say King of the beasts, though being
the greatest ­­ because thou doest only
help them, in order that they may give
thee their children for the benefit of the
gullet, of which thou hast attempted to
If you think
education is expensive, try ignorance.
­ Derek Bok
6
enough facts to choose for yourself.
And it doesn’t have to be all or
nothing. Try incorporating a small
handful of their recommendations into
your lifestyle and gauge the results.
After all, you are what you eat.
­Marissa Bronfman
U3 Honors Sociology, minor
Communications To discuss Skinny
Bitch, contact:
marissa.bronfman@mail.mcgill.ca
make a sepulchre for all animals."
“Of asses which are beaten, O
indifferent nature, wherefore art thouso
partial, being to some of thy children a
tender and benignant mother, and to
others a most cruel and pitiless
stepmother? I see thy children given
into slavery to others, without any sort
of advantage, and instead of
remuneration for the services they have
done, they are repaid by the severest
suffering, and they spend their whole
life in benefiting their oppressor."
at humankind were symptomatic of
depression. Eissler went so far as to
contend that Da Vinci had to fight off
cannibalistic tendencies when
dissecting the bodies he studied, and
that he was possessed of an oral­
sadistic impulse, and greatly
conflicted. In fact, at least to me, he
sounds perfectly sensible.
“Now does not nature
produce enough simple vegetarian fod
for thee to satisfy thyself? And if thou
art not content with such, canst thou
not by the mixture of them make
infinite compounds [...]?" Crazy,
heretical or cannibalistic: is the ethos
of “doing no harm" so radical and so
dangerous? By threatening many of
the tenets of our society, Spencer
argues that in the eyes of those in
power, it really is. The story is a
riveting one.
­Rhiannon Gwyn
PhD candidate, Physics
rhiannon.gwyn@mail.mcgill.ca
 Interview with SHAC Activist Gabriel Villeneuve
Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) was founded in
Britain in 1999 after undercover investigations revealed
rampant abuse inside the laboratories of Huntingdon
Life Sciences (HLS), the largest contract animal testing
facility in Europe. Since then, SHAC activists have used
a variety of direct action methods to pressure individuals
and companies to sever their business ties with HLS.
The ultimate goal of the campaign is to shut the facility
down.
people say that our tactics are counterproductive but that's
always from the side of big corporations like the HSUS or
SPCA. The reason is simple: more radical tactics are usually
not very popular with the general public. The big animal
charities are afraid that the public might get a negative view
of the whole animal rights scene and might be less likely to
donate. This is a big deal for them. They get millions in
donations and their Presidents are often paid more than
$200,000 a year, but we still don't see results.

The McGill Vegan spoke with Gabriel Villeneuve, a
founding member of SHAC Canada, to talk tactics and
liberation.
MV: Why has the SHAC campaign been so
successful at getting companies to stop doing
business with HLS?
GV: There are two main reasons: its international level and its
tactics. The fact that SHAC is international works really well
since companies that use HLS are international too so they
aren't able to hide from the truth. Whenever there is a
demonstration in Belgium, there's one in Switzerland, Canada,
the US, the UK, etc. The targets are under constant pressure.
We never let them go until they sever their links with HLS.
Also, we're not scared to use any tactics, including hardcore
militant tactics, as long as they are effective, even if this
means repression from the authorities and being watched by
cops all the time.
We don't care about money or if we have the public on our
side. What we care about is our multiple victories for the
animals and that we have. Most of those people aren't even
vegetarian, so how can we take them seriously anyway? It
just shows that they aren't serious about animal cruelty
because they pay and promote it by participating in the
slaughter. They have no credibility. Opinions from people like
that don't count.
Those people who criticize our actions want to have a lot of
attention from the general public and think that's an indication
they will win the battle. We can educate people but at the end
of the day the general public is not going to shut down HLS.
It's not feasible. It's like the people who worked to end
slavery. There was a small radical movement and they were
criticized as well. Really, we say that if your tactics are better,
show us. We don't care if they are fluffy or hardcore.
MV: What has been your best activist experience?

One very effective tactic that we use is the home GV: I've had a few but one time was when the New York
demonstration. It's very simple: we find out where the Stock Exchange kicked out HLS. And us being just a bunch
executives of companies who have business relations with of punks with a super small budget ofunder a million a year
HLS live and we do demonstrations in front of their luxurious between 20 countries. That's when I realized SHAC's tactics
houses. The SHAC campaign uses only legal tactics but really worked.
another group which also has a campaign to shut down HLS
uses illegal tactics: The Animal Liberation Front. They are the MV: What advice would you give to activists who are
most effective element of the war against HLS in terms of thinking of getting involved in the movement?
victories. We have no power over the ALF, don't have any
communication with them, and don't even know who they are GV: Find out what are your options in terms of existing
but we see that they are extremely effective. 200 groups and tactics in your city and contact them. There might
demonstrations at someone's house or at an office can have the be a type of action that you're more favourable of or a specific
same impact as burning down a car, one action. SHAC uses issue you want to work on. Do your research and do what is
the most effective legal tactics but since we're above ground more effective. While it will be tons of fun and an occasion to
we get all the legal problems. meet a lot of cool people, this is not a game or a social
activity; we are dealing with living beings who are suffering
MV: Do you ever think the direct action tactics used and dying. It's a serious matter, and we must end all of this
by SHAC could be counterproductive to the animal suffering the quickest way possible. Some people will choose
rights movement as a whole? to use the legal path, which is usually slower, to see positive
results; others will choose the illegal way, which historically
GV: No, not at all. If we thought so we would never do them. is more effective, but can land you in jail...
Our only goal is to stop animal cruelty as quickly as possible,
not to educate the public or to raise money, so we don't The above information given by Gabriel is not meant to
hesitate to use the most effective legal tactics to achieve this incite or request any illegal actions of any kind no matter
only goal. I think that criticizing other groups' tactics hurts how much they make him smile. If you have any
the movement more than doing our own things. questions about the legality of any act, he encourages
you to check with your local laws and ordinances before
We actually see a lot more results in this campaign than all of proceeding to do anything.
the animal welfare groups, for example. Sometimes we hear

7
 Tomato Dill Lentil Soup The Sexual Assault Centre of
Makes 6­8 servings/wheat­free
McGill Students' Society
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
(SACOMSS)
2 cups onions, diced
Listening
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
Referrals
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
Support Groups
2 1/2 tsp. dill seeds
Harrassed at McGill?
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
398­8500
2 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
Basement of Shatner (B27)
1­1 1/4 tsp. sea salt freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1 can (28oz/796 ml) crushed tomatoes
2 cups brown (or green) lentils, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
5 1/2­6 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp. tamari
1 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
2 dried bay leaves
2­3 Tbsp. dresh dill, chopped (for garnish)

In a large pot on medium heat, add

olive oil, onions, celery, garlic, dill seeds, cumin
seeds, ground mustard, salt (start with 1 tsp),
and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook
for 4­5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add
tomatoes, lentils, vegetable stock, water
(starting with 5 1/2 cups), tamari, molasses, and
bay leaves and stir to combine. Increase heat to
bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium­low,
cover, and cook for 50­60 minutes, until lentils
are very soft. Add remaining water (or more if
desired) to thin soup. Season to taste with
additional salt and pepper if desired, and
garnish with fresh dill to serve.
This recipe comes from Dreena Students for Transparency in Animal
Burton's book, Eat, Drink, and be Vegan (2007). Research and Testing at McGill (START)
She is the author of three vegan cookbooks, recently found out that in 2006, 52,875
hosts a blog at www.vivelevegan.blogspot.com nonhuman animals were used by McGill
and lives in British Columbia with her family. researchers. Nearly 15,000 of these
Notes: If you only have whole or diced animals underwent category "D" level
tomatoes, use a hand blender to crush them. procedures involving severe pain and
distress.
START was formed in 2006 by students
who were frustrated with the lack of
transparency surrounding animal
research at McGill. START demands that
McGill provide students and the public
with detailed and accessible information
about all of the animals being used in its
laboratories. In the fall of the 2007, the
Interested in contributing to
Students's Society of McGill University
the next issue of the McGill
(SSMU) passed a motion supporting the
Vegan? Do you have
fight for transparency in animal research.
questions, comments or
concerns?
Interested in getting involved with this
Simply send us an email:
project?
TheMcGillVegan@gmail.com. Email: STARTMcGill@gmail.com

Assistance Provided by
Animal Liberties
c/o SSMU, 3600 rue Mctavish
Montréal, Québec H3A 1Y2 the Students' Society
www.animalliberties.co.nr of McGill University
animalliberties@gmail.com