British Columbia

[Trevor]

Oh cool, well hi Paisleyjane. Are you in Victoria, Nanaimo, or one of the other towns over there?

[Masja]

Hi everyone, Nanaimo-ite here, originally from Alberta, but loving the island!

[screechingninja]

anyone live in and around kelowna???

[Robert Cheeke]

Love it! I was in Victoria and Vancouver 2 weeks ago. It was awesome!!!! There are a bunch of OrganicAthlete members in Victoria too :)

[Katezinha]

Well I totally understand LOL When we were in CO in the winter time, we would go out wiith not any heavy clothing on even though it was very cold but we honestly didn't feel it. Dry and cold is the way to go!! LOL

Sorry about the long delay... My internet connection has been down for the last 3 months and a half!

How are things doing about your plan to move to Canada?

[Qwerks]

Hey Vancouverites, a question from someone who's still toying with moving out there. Do you guys have independent fruit markets? I mean those little vendors who sell produce year-round. I've been to a few cities without them and it just feels wrong.

[Cedre]

Hi,
I am very new on this forum...and in Victoria. I am also very new at being a vegetarian.

[gillibean]

Hi,
I am very new on this forum...and in Victoria. I am also very new at being a vegetarian.

Welcome to VB! Victoria is my favorite city in the world. I was there for a quick vacation over the summer and loved it. Good thing I'm only a boat ride away (i'm in seattle) :)

[Smurfbabe]

Hi everyone, i'm Australian but i'm moving to Vancouver in a month!! So excited......will be asking you lots of questions about Canadian products and good local shops/stores etc in no time!

[bigdufstuff]

I'm soon going to be visiting Vancouver, and possibly moving there! I have lived in the USA my whole life so this might be a big move.

Curious what people here think of Vancouver as a place to live. Let me know how you like the city!

[Smurfbabe]

BigDufstuff i'm moving from Australia (where I've lived my whole life) to Vancouver so it's an even bigger move for me! I've been to Vancouver twice and it's really beautiful. Everyone is friendly and helpful, there's heaps to do and something for everyone. It's getting quite expensive like most places these days. I'll be living about 15 minutes from the city so I'm getting pretty excited - only 3 weeks to go! I"m sure it's a lot more vegetarian/vegan friendly than Western Australia so I'm looking forward to checking out the supermarkets and restaurants there.

[bigdufstuff]

BigDufstuff i'm moving from Australia (where I've lived my whole life) to Vancouver so it's an even bigger move for me! I've been to Vancouver twice and it's really beautiful. Everyone is friendly and helpful, there's heaps to do and something for everyone. It's getting quite expensive like most places these days. I'll be living about 15 minutes from the city so I'm getting pretty excited - only 3 weeks to go! I"m sure it's a lot more vegetarian/vegan friendly than Western Australia so I'm looking forward to checking out the supermarkets and restaurants there.

Sounds great, I will be visiting the area on business come May. I plan to look around and see how it is as a city. Compared to Atlanta, which is where I live now, it seems more in line with the style of city I want to live in. Do any Vancouver residents know if there is a food COOP in Vancouver, and how do you like it?

[Masja]

Hi everyone. I'm wondering if you'd be willing to help me out with some recommendations on make-up products, beauty products, household products, etc, that you use? I find it frustrating to hear about a great product on here only to see that the poster refering it is from the US or somewhere else and we don't have it available.
I'm on the island in nanaimo, so I've got access to most shopping areas, so any imput would be appreciated! I know most of the Bodyshop has cruelty free products, but I never know of any other brand that is recommended. I'd prefer something with a short ingredient list, lol. Thanks!

[Abbey]

Hi everyone. I'm wondering if you'd be willing to help me out with some recommendations on make-up products, beauty products, household products, etc, that you use? I find it frustrating to hear about a great product on here only to see that the poster refering it is from the US or somewhere else and we don't have it available.
I'm on the island in nanaimo, so I've got access to most shopping areas, so any imput would be appreciated! I know most of the Bodyshop has cruelty free products, but I never know of any other brand that is recommended. I'd prefer something with a short ingredient list, lol. Thanks!

I've never been to Nanaimo, but I lived in Victoria for 7 years and there are loads of vegan health/beauty products there. One of my favourite brands, which is available at some mainstream pharmacies as well as health food stores, is Jason. They are very good about not adding unnecessary ingredients to their products. Their moisturizer is great, and their hairspray actually holds my hair in place! Even their roll-on deodorant isn't bad. I've also had great luck with Nature's Gate organic handsoap and toothpaste, and Kiss My Face body wash. Oh and Avalon Organics makes very good shampoos. I've seen Avalon Organics at mainstream pharmacies in Victoria as well.

The only thing I don't recall seeing a lot of is fragrance free products. Druide makes a fragrance free body wash and Green Beaver makes a fragrance free deodorant, but they are both Quebec companies and I never saw either in Victoria.

Most of the products I mentioned above can be ordered online at veganessentials.com or veganstore.com. They are U.S. websites but they ship to Canada fairly cheap. I just ordered a bunch of dark chocolate mini easter eggs from veganstore.com and it only cost $9 to ship to Ottawa from Maryland.

BTW you are so lucky living on the island!!! I just moved to Ottawa last summer, and I still miss Victoria so much that it hurts! Or maybe that's just the frostbite I'm feeling :p. It's so cold and dreary here! I grew up about 8 hours from Ottawa, but after spending 7 years in Victoria, there's no where else I want to live!

P.S. Just realised you also asked about household products. I would definitely recommend Seventh Generation for cleaning products. That should be available at any health food store, and I've even seen some of their products at Thrifty's supermarkets in Victoria. I love their laundry detergent and dish soap. They make a decent toilet paper as well, but I admit I usually buy a mainstream brand because it's cheaper and stronger :o .

[Masja]

BTW you are so lucky living on the island!!! I just moved to Ottawa last summer, and I still miss Victoria so much that it hurts! Or maybe that's just the frostbite I'm feeling :p. It's so cold and dreary here! I grew up about 8 hours from Ottawa, but after spending 7 years in Victoria, there's no where else I want to live!

P.S. Just realised you also asked about household products. I would definitely recommend Seventh Generation for cleaning products. That should be available at any health food store, and I've even seen some of their products at Thrifty's supermarkets in Victoria. I love their laundry detergent and dish soap. They make a decent toilet paper as well, but I admit I usually buy a mainstream brand because it's cheaper and stronger :o .


Yeah we love it here, it's so green and beautiful. Definitely don't miss Edmonton, especially when I hear about their snow and freezing temperatures! lol. I would love to move to Victoria, but it's so expensive!!

I've bought the seventh generation toilet paper...yeah, not bad, but not great, lol. I'll check out their other stuff too, as well as the other things you mentioned :) Thanks for the imput.

[synergy]

I've just decided that I would like to move to Vancouver from Calgary sometime in the next year or so...

:vebo: :bobo: :nana:

[Smurfbabe]

I've just moved to Vancouver from Western Australia! Very nice so far, amazing to look out your window and see snowy mountains. I took a walk down Commercial Drive today and there were quite a few organic and vegetarian/vegan friendly shops and eateries. Yum yum yum!!! Good to see all those food products that i've only heard about actually available. Should make my transistion from vegetarian to vegan even easier. Now to work on my career.....(or current lack of one).

[Masja]

Anyone live on Van isle? And if so, has anyone seen or bought vegenaise in stores? I just bought some off V.E, but was wondering if I can buy it locally as well?

[bigdufstuff]

I'm going for my preview of Vancouver for my job relocation next week. I am so very excited :vebo:. I have a small list of things to do and check out including some of the restaurants on happy cow, but is there anything the locals can recommend that I absolutely must do to really get a feel if it is where I want to live?

[Abbey]

Anyone live on Van isle? And if so, has anyone seen or bought vegenaise in stores? I just bought some off V.E, but was wondering if I can buy it locally as well?

Yes, I've seen it in Victoria at Planet Organic, The Market on Yates, and Lifestyle Markets. Lifestyle Markets even has different varieties like organic, or grapeseed oil flavour, etc.

Not sure about outside Victoria though.

[Masja]

Yes, I've seen it in Victoria at Planet Organic, The Market on Yates, and Lifestyle Markets. Lifestyle Markets even has different varieties like organic, or grapeseed oil flavour, etc.

Not sure about outside Victoria though.

I'm in Nanaimo, but occasionally go visit my brother in Victoria. I'll have to check it out next time I'm there.

Thanks :)

[Cedre]

So I'm a new vegan - still in the wannabe category. In fact I just gave up meat a few months ago. So I have no vegan friends, not even vegetarian friends. Before becoming a vegetarian, I never knew they were discriminated against. Wow, I didn't realize everyone will have an opinion about what I eat!
Anyhow....short story long...I need some veg*n friends. I am absolutely sure that Victoria is full of them! Just none of them are my friends :(
So, I like long walks on the beach, and my hobbies include reading and reciting poetry. This sounded like a personal...so i thought i might as well make it official! Anyhoo....anyone from or around Victoria want to go to the green cuisine sometime, I would love it...so I have someone face to face to bitch about my other friends who don't get my vegan ways :afro:

[Abbey]

So I'm a new vegan - still in the wannabe category. In fact I just gave up meat a few months ago. So I have no vegan friends, not even vegetarian friends. Before becoming a vegetarian, I never knew they were discriminated against. Wow, I didn't realize everyone will have an opinion about what I eat!
Anyhow....short story long...I need some veg*n friends. I am absolutely sure that Victoria is full of them! Just none of them are my friends :(
So, I like long walks on the beach, and my hobbies include reading and reciting poetry. This sounded like a personal...so i thought i might as well make it official! Anyhoo....anyone from or around Victoria want to go to the green cuisine sometime, I would love it...so I have someone face to face to bitch about my other friends who don't get my vegan ways :afro:

Check out The Victoria Vegan Newsletter (http://www.thevictoriavegan.com/)!!! It's full of events for vegans around Victoria, and there's a section called Vegan Connections (http://www.thevictoriavegan.com/connections/) with information about Vegan associations in the area.

I highly recommend the UVic Vegan Association! You don't even have to be a UVic student to join. Last time I checked (last June), the president was named David Shishkoff (dave@earthfuture.com). He's not a UVic student either LOL. They have great potlucks; when I was at UVic, I went to an amazing Thanksgiving potluck, the food was so fabulous! Also, the Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association (VIVA) has occasional raw potlucks, and I've been to one at UVic before, and it was really good.

I hope this helps! I wish so bad that I was still in Victoria (I'm in Ottawa now). I went vegan while I was living there, and I took all the health food stores and veggie-friendly places for granted. But now that I'm in Ottawa I can appreciate how difficult it is for other people to get by as vegans in other parts of the country. They don't even have Vegan Rella here!!!

[Cedre]

Check out The Victoria Vegan Newsletter (http://www.thevictoriavegan.com/)!!! It's full of events for vegans around Victoria, and there's a section called Vegan Connections (http://www.thevictoriavegan.com/connections/) with information about Vegan associations in the area.

I highly recommend the UVic Vegan Association! You don't even have to be a UVic student to join. Last time I checked (last June), the president was named David Shishkoff (dave@earthfuture.com). He's not a UVic student either LOL. They have great potlucks; when I was at UVic, I went to an amazing Thanksgiving potluck, the food was so fabulous! Also, the Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association (VIVA) has occasional raw potlucks, and I've been to one at UVic before, and it was really good.

I hope this helps! I wish so bad that I was still in Victoria (I'm in Ottawa now). I went vegan while I was living there, and I took all the health food stores and veggie-friendly places for granted. But now that I'm in Ottawa I can appreciate how difficult it is for other people to get by as vegans in other parts of the country. They don't even have Vegan Rella here!!!

Thanks Abbey. I've joined their facebook, but nothing seems to be happening. Though not the UVic one...I thought you did have to be a UVic student, so I'll definately join that one too. I'm actually originally from Ottawa, and I was just there two weeks ago. It's horrible...especially for vegans. soy milk is a rarity...and most people don't understand what vegan means! I too have a much greater appreciation for others in not so veg*n friendly cities.
Aww...it is too bad that you've movied :( shucks! Move back and be my friend!!!
Thanks for the info. btw, I did meet up with David Shishkoff, and friends of animals group, and I think I may have accidentaly offended them. Um, I don't always make very good first impressions! :surprised I'm kinda shy and odd things come out of my mouth when I'm nervous!

[Cedre]

Wow...there is no movement at all in BC! what's going on?? Just wanted to say that Wild Fire has the best vegan bread there is in Victoria BC. check it out if you are in town.