Durham Veg History

Durham Veg was founded in 1996 under the name "Durham Lakeside Vegetarians". This name was chosen because, at the time, there was another vegetarian group in the Uxbridge area. Since the majority of interested individuals lived in the towns along the lakefront, we decided on the name "Durham Lakeside Vegetarians" or DLV.

Durham Veg was the brainchild of Sally Grande, who lived in Whitby, and Anne Dozell, who lived in Pickering, at the time. Momentum was building between 1998 and 2009 when DLV decided to attempt a Durham Vegetarian Festival as a prelude to the giant Harbourfront Vegetarian Festival held by TVA. We expected a few hundred people but over 5,000 people showed up... in the rain! The Heydenshore Pavilion was packed and the parking lot overflowed onto the road.  Two of the four organizers have moved away from Durham in pursuit of their career goals and the other two have since retired so we have not attempted another Durham Festival ...yet.

Since those days, DurhamVeg has expanded to Facebook and Twitter and we have multiple events each month. Memorable photos of monthly events are displayed in our gallery (see the Gallery tab above). Below are the archives of DurhamVeg's early years and images of special people and restaurants which are no longer with us.

Anne Dozell and Sally Grande at TVA Vegetarian Fair at Toronto's Harbourfront in 1994.

Sadly, Anne passed away at Markham Stouffville Hospital on June 7, 2012 at the age of 71. In honour of her contributions to founding DurhamVeg, we take time to remember Anne. She was perhaps best know for her energy and humour. Her column in TVA's Lifelines newsletter, called "Ask Letty" (short for lettuce), dealt with the problems typical encountered by new vegetarians and vegans. She relentlessly plastered posters and distributed flyers all over Durham. Her enthusiasm cannot be replaced.

For more on Anne, see TVA's memorial.

Anne Dozell holding plant and posing with Durham vegetarians at the Hobby Horse Arms in 1998.

Anne and Sally in "Whitby This Week" in 1998.

Dan Rambharose, another long time friend of DurhamVeg, attended our monthly dinners even though he lived in Toronto and was almost always travelling. Dan had a reputation for having visited the most remote locations on the planet, and testing their vegan foods! Sadly, Dan passed away suddenly in 2013. He will be missed by many.

Holiday prize packages offered at December dinner in 2012.

The City of Oshawa paid homage to DurhamVeg by publicizing this review of Spicy Affairs in 2013.

Durham booth at the Toronto Vegetarian Fair in 2009.

TVA's Lifelines newsletter printed a front page review of the veg-friendly restaurant which was in the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Oshawa) in 2006. This restaurant has closed and the gallery has no onsite restaurant.

Paul, Steve and Sally for the Durham Festival, 2009.

Durham vegetarians at Durham's first public vegetarian restaurant (Jasmine Garden) on Garden Street in Whitby in 2009. Sadly, this restaurant is closed.

Carrie, an Oshawa-based vegan, with a west-end organic farmer on a DurhamVeg farm visit in 2010.

Two families of Durham vegetarians at Summerfest in Pennsylvania in 2009.

DurhamVeg had many memorable meetings in a restaurant called "Mexico Lindo" on Simcoe Street in Oshawa. That restaurant was sold in 2012 when the owner opted for a well-deserved break for motherhood and family life.