With that in mind, here’s the catch: we’re poor.

I know, you’re shocked. How could a magazine that depends on vegan-friendly companies and folks like yourself to support it be poor, right? Well, apparently life can be expensive, especially when you throw in student loans, rent, and a few other things (like food).

Of course, this means we’re trying to get across the country as cheaply as possible, while still maintaining a schedule so that we can book venues in cities along the way. Thus, biking and hitchhiking are out.

Luckily, this is where you come in! Here’s a PROPOSED list of the tour, followed by a list of what we’re in need of at each stop. If you think you can help in any way wherever you live, drop us a line.

Possible T.O.F.U. tour stops

Halifax
Moncton
Saint John
Fredericton
Quebec City
Montreal
Ottawa
Toronto
Winnipeg
Brandon
Regina or Saskatoon
Calgary or Edmonton
Vancouver

Things we need help with

• Venues to hold the event (preferably with a speaker system to allow live music)
• Musicians (preferably at least one veg*n member in each act)
• Local organizations to table and promote awareness of the work they do (should be appropriate for a vegan event)
• Couch/floor/reclining chair to sleep in

If you think you have an answer to any of these, feel we should host an event in your area, or just want to be involved but don’t quite know what to do, email us (ryan at ilovetofu.ca) and we’ll start working on this together.

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Why run a vegan-friendly business?
The question we asked ourselves was more “Why not?”
We are vegans and we knew firsthand what it was like to try and find vegan products in our neck of the woods and we thought “This is absolute BS!” and “Someone has to fix this”. And then “Why can’t that someone be us?” The rest is herstory.

How long have you been in business?
We opened our virtual doors on World Vegan Day 2007 (Woohoo! Anything to double-party…)

Favourite part about it?
Taste-testing all the products we bring in and deciding what we are keeping all to ourselves and what we are sharing with our customers… OR getting to eat all that has not sold before the Best Before Date (thanking the Vegan Gods that vegan products almost never really “expire”). Or really, meeting great and amazing people who often become friends.

Anything new people should know about?
After three years of being online only, we are FINALLY opening our Physical-IRL-Brick & Mortar-In-Your-Face Retail Store!! Starting January 2011, we will be at 4148 St-Laurent, Montreal, right on the Main. Thanks again to the Vegan Gods.

Who would win in a fight: Quinoa or Couscous?
Kale… or broccoli. Quinoa or Couscous are absolutely no match for the Awesome Power of Leafy Greens. But as you are twisting our arm, we will answer Quinoa because Quinoa is the Bok Choy of grains.

What’s THE thing a vegan has to do in your town?
You mean apart from visiting us at 4148 St-Laurent, Montreal, right on the Main?
If so, we’d say go for a BLT at Aux Vivres – which incidentally is located 650m from 4148 St-Laurent… which you should definitely visit (all horn-tooting aside, naturally)…

Viva Granola Store welcomed to Montreal at the Grande rencontre végé

I was happy to wake-up this morning and come across this article through Twitter. Of course, I was sad to have missed the event as it sounds like it was great!

The silver lining to that “I missed the boat” cloud is that it seems Montreal has added one more thing to its already great vegan-friendly shops and restaurants: Viva Granola.

That’s right, the fine folks who have been delivering to people all over the place from their home in Quebec City will be opening a storefront in January in Montreal.

Personally, I’m stoked that I now have Aux Vivres and this store on my “must do before I leave Montreal” list for my next visit. And every one after that.

The Saint John show went well (thanks Dan, Chuck and everyone else!!), and it was nice to finally meet up with Amanda and Mike after all the border shenanigans. We are sleeping in tomorrow and then running around the city for fresh fruit and culture before the show at L’Escalier. Then we head to the capitol city and start our Ontario stint.

See you there.

Also, we’re still looking for veg* musicians, in bands or solo, that would be interested in playing a date or two with us. So, if you are in a city where we seem to need help, drop me a line and we’ll work something out.

See you somewhere out there,
Ryan

Dates in bold are in need of help.

Canada

Thurs, Apr.30th – Halifax, Nova Scotia – The Wooden Monkey
Sat, May.2nd – Saint John, New Brunswick – A Khord

Sun, May.3rd – Quebec City, Quebec
Mon, May.4th – Montreal, Quebec

Tues, May.5th – Ottawa, Ontario – Umi Cafe
Wed, May.6th – Toronto, Ontario – The Boat
Thurs, May.7th – Guelph, Ontario – Van Gogh’s Ear

Fri, May.8th – DAY OFF – DRIVING
Sat, May.9th – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Mondragon Cafe
Sun, May.10th - Regina, Saskatchewan – BeetRoot Organics

Mon, May.11th – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Tues, May.12th – Edmonton, Alberta – Hydeaway All-Ages Art Space

Wed, May13 – Calgary, Alberta
Thurs, May.14th – Vancouver, British Columbia

US

Fri, May.15th – Seattle, Washington – Holy Mountain
Sat, May.16th – Spokane, Washington- Caterina Winery
Sun, May.17th – Portland, Oregon – Laughing Horse Books

Mon, May.18th – DAY OFF – REDWOOD FOREST

Tues, May.19th – San Francisco, California

Wed, May.20th – Echo Park, California – Echo Curio
Thurs, May.21st – Los Angeles, California – Unknown Cafe
Fri, May.22nd – DAY OFF – Los Angeles, California
Sat, May.23rd – Los Angeles, California – Genghis Cohen
Sun,May.24th – Phoenix, Arizona – Ruby Room

Mon, May.25th – Northern Arizona
Tues, May.26th – New Mexico (Albuquerque or Santa Fe)

Wed, May.27th – Denver, Colorado – Quixote’s
Thurs, May.28th – Nebraska – HOLDING FOR SADDLE CREEK BAR

Fri, May.29th – Topeka or Kansas City

Sat, May.30th – Wichita, Kansas – Fisch Haus

Sun, May.31st – Des Moins
Mon, June.1st – Indianapolis

Tues, June.2nd – Mansfield,Ohio – House Show
Wed, June.3rd – PA,NY or NJ – On Hold

Thurs, June.4th – New York City, NY

Fri, June.5th – Long Island, New York – On Hold

=-p