ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY 
OF WINNIPEG VEGETARIAN

By Dennis Bayomi
June, 2002

It gives me great joy to announce that this issue marks the Tenth Anniversary of our newsletter, Winnipeg Vegetarian. Incredibly when I put the very first issue together back in April 1992, I never imagined that the newsletter and the WVA would be going strong ten years later!


As some of you may know, I launched Winnipeg Vegetarian as an Earth Day project, literally planting a seed. The idea was to see if there was “vegetarian life” in Winnipeg and if there might be any interest in establishing a vegetarian group in the following year or two. Much to my surprise, there appeared to be both veggie life and interest.


Issue #2 came out just before Paul and Linda McCartney’s Winnipeg concert in May 1993. Vegetarian buzz surrounded the McCartneys, and although this “Winnipeggian” (as Paul called us) didn’t actually meet them, I was profoundly inspired by their vegetarian energy and activism. After meeting many vegetarian activists and group leaders at my first vegetarian festival in Portland, Oregon that summer and at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair in September, Issue #3 announced to the world the formation of the WVA on World Vegetarian Day October 1, 1993.


It’s truly impossible to summarize the past ten years in a few words. Through countless activities – restaurant dinners, potlucks, picnics, Beginning Vegetarian Nights, film screenings, cooking demos, guest lectures, tabling opportunities, conversations, e-mails, interviews, letters, and visits by out-of-town guests – the WVA has worked as a team to further the vegetarian cause in our community. And by networking with other vegetarian groups around the world, the WVA has been an active player in the worldwide vegetarian community.


My original plan in 1992 was to devote five years to organizing a vegetarian group in Winnipeg (after year #2, I realized this was all too important and interesting a project and decided that I’d devote ten years instead of “only” five). Now at year #10, it’s with wonderful memories that I announce I’ll be stepping down at the end of August as WVA President.


I’m thrilled that a very talented and enthusiastic team of volunteers will take the WVA to its next level and will be opening an exciting new chapter for vegetarian life in Winnipeg. Athough I’ll be stepping down as a vegetarian group leader, my passion for vegetarian advocacy will continue stronger than ever with new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead (I’ll keep you all up-to-date on developments in the coming months).


When I started Winnipeg Vegetarian and the WVA, I didn’t know any vegetarians. Over the past ten years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to meet hundreds and hundreds of vegetarians – as well as “not-yet-vegetarians” – and to have made many  dear friends along the way.  I thank all of you for making these past ten years so memorable and assure you that I won’t be far away, likely just across from you at the next WVA dinner.