PETA NAMES OTTAWA ONE OF THE MOST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY CITIES IN CANADA

March 17, 2006

Group Honours Canada’s Capital for Great ‘Green’ Eating For Immediate Release:March 16, 2006 Contact:Reannon Peterson 757-622-7382 Ottawa — Perfection-Satisfaction-Promise, Govinda’s Vegetarian Buffet, and The Peace Garden Café—these popular, vegetarian-friendly Ottawa-area eateries have helped to earn the city’s rank among the most vegetarian-friendly cities in Canada. PETA’s national survey of vegetarian-friendly cities considered the number of vegetarian restaurants, nonvegetarian restaurants with vegetarian selections, top vegetarian product sales, and extensive retail selections, and Ottawa got high scores in each category. A good place to

start is the all-vegetarian restaurant Perfection-Satisfaction-Promise, where the main courses are great, but the vegan chocolate cheesecake is the restaurant’s star attraction. Looking for great food that won’t break the bank? The Horn of Africa has delicious Ethiopian platters for under $10. Top picks at The Peace Garden Café are the Malaysian stir-fry, the pad Thai, the shepherd’s pie with mushroom gravy, and the vegan carrot cake. Those with an insatiable sweet tooth will want to dig into the vegan ice cream at Pure Gelato, which offers flavours such as hazelnut, chocolate, and organic vanilla. According to data from the National Institute of Nutrition, more than 1.2 million Canadians identify themselves as vegetarians. Twenty-four percent of college students ask for vegan options in school cafeterias, an indication that the vegetarian movement is growing in popularity among young people. Both the Dieticians of Canada and the

American Dietetic Association have endorsed vegetarian diets, noting that vegetarians have lower rates of heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. PETA took population into account and determined a per capita ratio of vegetarian restaurants. Cities with vegetarian organizations and food fairs received bonus points. British Columbia vegetarian haven Vancouver took first place, and Victoria came in second. Toronto, Montréal, and Calgary rounded out the top six. "Ottawa is a mecca for people seeking healthy and delicious vegetarian food," says PETA Director of Vegan Campaigns Bruce Friedrich. "More and more people are making the switch to a vegetarian diet, and Ottawa’s restaurants and other businesses are responding by offering more delicious vegetarian fare that appeals to everyone." For more detailed information about the survey, please visit GoVeg.comPeter H

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