WORLD WEEK FOR ANIMALS IN LABORATORIES (WWAIL)
P&G stands for Pain & Greed

Friday, April 25, 2008

ARK II and a dozen volunteers leafletted outside P&G in Toronto to draw attention to the millions of animals who die in labs in the name of pseudo science and corporate negligence.

ECOLOGY AND ANIMAL RIGHTS AT THE 8^th ANNUAL HALTON ECO FESTIVAL
Saturday, APRIL 19, 2008

ARK II tabled and ran the Ecology and Animal Rights workshop at the Halton Eco Festival on Saturday, April 19^th from 10 AM to 6 PM at the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre, 1415 Third Line in Oakville. Eco Fest is a project of the Oakville Community Centre For Peace, Ecology And Human Rights.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST THE CANADIAN COMMERCIAL SEAL HUNT
SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2008

ARK II teamed up with Wild at Heart to demonstrate against the seal hunt at Yonge/Bloor followed by a march down to Dundas Square. We wish to thank all the individuals who attended the demo and spoke out for the seals.

CANADA'S 19th NATIONAL ANTI-FUR DAY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2008

This year marked the 19^th annual National Anti-Fur Day. ARK II – The Animal Rights Kollective wass pleased to be joined by local activists, Wild at Heart (www.wildatheartcanada.org) and Compassion for Animals (http://animalrights.meetup.com/186/) for this peaceful anti-fur demonstration outside Holt Renfrew (50 Bloor St. W). There were 22 participating cities this year!

7^th annual HALTON ECO FESTIVAL
MARCH 31 + APRIL 1, 2007

ARK II tabled and ran the Animal Rights and the Environment workshop at the Halton Eco Festival on Saturday, March 31^st from 10 AM to 5 PM and on Sunday, April 1^st from 11 AM to 4 PM at the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre, 1415 Third Line in Oakville.

International Day of Protest Against the Canadian Seal Hunt
March 15, 2007
An action alert is avaiable via e-mail. Please contact us if you wish to join our activist list
ANGUS REID Poll - Should Seal Hunt Be Banned? Click here to take the poll.

NATIONAL ANTI-FUR DAY - DEMONSTRATION
DATE: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10
TIME: 12 PM - 1 PM
LOCATION: HOLT RENFREW (50 BLOOR ST. WEST, TORONTO)

Special thanks to the 62 volunteers who attended the demo. We encourage people to write to Caryn Lerner, president of Holt Renfrew to stop selling fur.

22^nd annual Vegetarian Food Fair
York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, TORONTO
Friday, September 8^th — 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, September 9^th — 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, September 10^th — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Vegetarian Food Fair takes place each September inside and on the grounds of York Quay Centre, Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West, Toronto). The themes of the fair include health and wellness, vegetarian cuisine, the environment, animal welfare, and community-building activism.

Pedestrian Sundays – Kensington Market (at Urban Herbivore - 64 Oxford St.):
Schedule:
Sun May 28th: Spring!
Sun June 25th: Fire!
Sunday, July 30^th: Water!
Sunday, August 13^th: Blackout!
Sunday, August 27^th: Air!
Sunday, September 24^th: Earth!
Sunday, October 29^th: Halloween!

REAL MEN DON'T BUCK ANIMALS - organized by Wild at Heart
Saturday, May 27: 2 pm – 4:30 pm
Markham Fair Rodeo Demo
ARK II contributed slogans and volunteer support towards this demo and campaign to boycott rodeo events in the GTA.

ANTI-CIRCUS DEMONSTRATION - organized by Wild at Heart
FRIDAY MARCH 3 (5:45 PM), SATURDAY MARCH 4 (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM) and SUNDAY MARCH 5 (10:30 AM)
LOCATION: ROGERS CENTRE (FORMERLY THE SKYDOME)MAIN ENTRANCE

This was a series of non-violent demonstrations featuring street performance and vegan refreshments.

NATIONAL ANTI-FUR DAY - DEMONSTRATION
DATE: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11
TIME: 12 PM - 1 PM
LOCATION: HOLT RENFREW (50 BLOOR ST. WEST, TORONTO)

Special thanks to the 46 volunteers who attended the demo. Ming Pao daily featured a colour photo and article in the February 12 publication.

KENSIGNTON MARKET PEDESTRIAN SUNDAYS
Sunday July 17 - 12 PM - 6 PM
Sunday July 31 - 12 PM - 6 PM
Sunday August 14 - 12 PM - 6 PM

Location: Urban Herbivore, 65 Oxford Street (Oxford/Augusta - just south of College St and west of Spadina)

ARK II provided information and literature about veganism, animal rights and the environment. Special thanks to Stephen and Kimberlee for inviting us to spread the word about animal rights in the Market.

WORLD WEEK FOR ANIMALS IN LABORATORIES (WWAIL) April 23, 2005

ARK II organized the SHAC (Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty) demonstration to protest against animal cruelty in the vivisection industry at a local pharmacy that supplies prescription drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies (GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Novartis, etc.) that are Huntington Life Sciences clients.

Many thanks go to all volunteers who came out despite the cold, rainy and windy weather conditions.

For more information about this campaign, please visit the following websites: www.insidehls.com, www.shacamerica.net and www.shac.net.

HALTON ECO FEST

ARK II tabled and ran a workshop about Animal Rights and the Environment at Halton Eco-Fest on Saturday, April 2, 2005, from 10am to 6pm at the Glen Abbey Rec Centre, 1415 Third Line, north of the QEW. The festival takes place annually and attracts thousands from Halton Region, the Greater Toronto Area, and beyond.

ARK II speakers welcome your suggestions for environment and animal friendly festivals and conferences to provide presentations and run workshops about animal rights topics. Please contact us if you have a suitable venue for our speakers. Thank-you.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST THE CANADIAN SEAL HUNT
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Time: Noon to 1:00 pm
Where: Yonge and Dundas Square (across from the Eaton Centre)

ARK II joined the World Society for the Protection of Animals sponsored rally in downtown Toronto. More than 200 people came out to voice their protest against Canada's commercial seal hunt. More than 50 rallies were organized worldwide in support of the International Day of Protest Against the Canadian Seal Hunt. You can help! By writing letters to the Canadian Government and joining the Canadian Seafood Boycott. You can also sign IFAW's petition.

GARDEN BROTHERS CIRCUS DEMONSTRATION

Date: Friday, March 4, 2005
Time: 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Location: Sky Dome - Front St/Blue Jays Way

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.peta.org) and ARK II held a peaceful demonstration to spread the word about the cruel treatment of animals in this entertainment industry.

HAVE A HEART - BOYCOTT KFC

Date: Monday, February 14, 2005
Time: 12 pm - 1 pm
Location: Kentucky Fried Chicken - 636 Bloor St. W. Toronto

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.peta.org) and ARK II held a peaceful demonstration outside KFC with "Cupid" to urge passersby to have a heart and boycott KFC for it's cruel treatment of chickens. For more information, please contact us.

NATIONAL ANTI-FUR DAY

Date: Saturday, February 12, 2005
Time: 12 pm - 1 pm
Location: HOLT RENFREW - 50 Bloor St. W. Toronto

This year marked the 16^th annual National Anti-Fur Day for ARK II.We wish to thank all activists, volunteers, members and local animals rights groups who came out in support of the demonstration. We will keep everyone posted on the progress of our "Holt's House of Horrors" campaign to boycott Holt Renfrew until it stops selling fur and fur trim. For more information, please contact us.

THANKSGIVING IS MRUDER ON TURKEYS - Friday, October 1, 2004.
ARK II organized the local contingency in support of the PETA campaign to promote compassionate meals for this Thanksgiving holiday season. From 7:45 am - 9:30 am, volunteers held the "Thanksgiving is Murder on Turkeys" banner over the Dundas Street East bridge for incoming commuters to see from the Don Valley Parkway. The large turkey mascot caught the attention of many people and brought on many waves and honks from drivers.

TORONTO VEGETARIAN ASSOCIATION 20^th Annual Food Fair - September 10-12
This marks our 20^th year of tabling at the Toronto Vegetarian Association's 20^th Annual Food Fair. Special thanks to all volunteers for maintaining the booth and promoting animal rights and veganism. We also wish to thank Axis Gear for their generous support in printing our T-shirts with eco-friendly ink on sweatshop-free shirts.

Taste of the Danforth Festival - August 7, 2004
ARK II tabled at the Taste of the Danforth Fetsival in support of local organic vegetarian café/restaurant, The Organic Buddha.

World Week for Animals in Labs - April 23, 2004
ARK II demostrated with SHAC Toronto (Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty)outside Sumitomo Corporation (King/University) who has been in business with Huntington Life Sciences for 15 years. For more information about this campaign, visit SHAC America and SHAC UK online.

SEAL HUNT PROTEST – April 16, 2004
A protest, organized by Freedom for Animals, against the ongoing Canadian seal slaughter was held on Friday, April 16, 2004 from 1p.m to 2p.m. outside of the Green Party office on 244 Gerrard St. East. The protest was held at the Green Party office following the recent policy change to support the commercial seal hunt.

Halton Eco-Fest – April 3, 2004
Ark II participated again this year at the 4th Annual Halton Eco-Fest, on Saturday, April 3, 2004. The festival featured over 100 environmentally conscious exhibitors. There were numerous seminars as well as a vegetarian food section. Ark II was well received by organizers, volunteers and attendees. For more information, please visit www.haltonecofest.ca.

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST IAMS - March 6, 2004
ARK II came out on Saturday, March 6 to distribute literature about IAMS food for companion animals (owned by Proctor and Gamble) at Queen/Bay with local PETA volunteers. For more information, visit www.iamscruelty.com.

15^th NATIONAL ANTI-FUR DAY
Ark II was part of the annual national day of protest against the cruelty of the fur industry, held every year across Canada at Valentine’s Day with the message, “Have a Heart, Don’t Wear Fur." In Toronto, Ark II joined Freedom for Animals in organizing a protest targeting the Bay. After agreeing to stop fur sales in 1991, the Bay reopened their fur salons in 1997, returning to support the indefensible and cruel fur industry for the sake of greed. Since the Bay only cares about money, we can all make a difference by simply boycotting the Bay until they stop selling fur! This message was echoed loud and clear at the entrance to the Bay at Queen and Yonge, where approximately 60 activists gathered with signs, hearts and voices for 2 ½ hours, before marching along Queen Street to Spadina to target the fur district as well. Special thanks to Action Volunteers for Animals for organizing the national event and funding the Toronto protest.

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SOME OF ARKII'S PAST EVENTS

Our "Fur Is Never in Fashion" billboard poster was on display at Queen St. West/Spadina Av. from January 19 - March 15 in the heart of the Fashion and Fur District. Special thanks to our members and donors who have made generous contributions towards the billboard campaign.

From September 12th through till the 14th, ARK II participated in the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s annual food fair. Thousands of people dropped by our table, picking up literature on fur, vivisection, circuses, factory farming, puppy mills, to name but a few.

ARK II joined the Humane Society of the United States and the Canadians for Fur Bearing Animals on September 11th through the 13th in raising awareness about the continuing commercial East coast seal hunt. We distributed information to moviegoers at the International Film Festival titled “Shame on Canada – Ban the Commercial Seal Hunt” campaign.

On August 8th through 10th, ARK II once again tabled at the Tastes of the Danforth festival. It was a pleasure to share vegetarian menu items with so many people at such a meat-centered event.

This summer kicked off with ARK II’s marching contigent in the Pride 3D 2003 Parade: Diverse – Defiant – Divine. Our theme this year was Animal Rights 101 – the school of animal rights. We dressed up in sexy school uniforms and handed out literature on animal rights. This marked 7 years of marching in the Pride Day parade.

On May 7th, ARK II hosted an information table at the Matchbox 20 concert in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre. The lead singer of Matchbox 20 is a vegan and animal rights advocate and welcomed local groups to come out and spread the animal rights message!

ARK II participated in the 3rd annual Halton Eco Festival at the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Psychology and Human Rights on Saturday, April 5th 2003.

ARK II was again out protesting when the Garden Bros Circus came to Toronto for their annual performances at the Skydome. From Thursday March 20 through to Sunday March 23, circus-goers were met by animal advocates showing them what goes on behind the scenes at animal circuses.

On Monday, October 28th, ARK II and PETA staged a "Meet Your Meat!" lunchtime video event on Queen Street West near John St. PETA came to Toronto as part of its North American tour with a U-HAUL truck fitted with large video monitors on both sides. ARK II activists talked to passersby about the cruelty inherent to a meat-based diet, gave out flyers, showed off their anti-meat posters... and raised awareness about the plight of factory-farmed animals.

On Saturday, October 12th, 2002, ARK II encouraged Toronto grocery shoppers to have a vegetarian Thanksgiving during our annual "Thanksgiving is Murder on Turkeys!" event at the Loblaws at Christie and Dupont. A dozen activists served up delicious vegan pumpkin pie homemade by one of our directors and veggie turkey sandwiches. We gave out flyers, stickers to the kids and made a positive impact with Helen, our 7 foot tall turkey mascot. The kids loved her! Let's hope some of these people had vegetarian Thanksgiving meals and/or decided against serving turkey at Christmas. We would like to give thanks to all those who helped out with this successful event. The sandwiches that were left over were brought to homeless people on Spadina.

ARK II had a great time at the Toronto Vegetarian Association's 18th annual Vegetarian Food Fair at Harbourfront. We were tabling from Friday, September 13th until Sunday the 15th and thousands of people stopped by our table and were educated about the atrocities that occur to animals (not just so-called food animals) on fur farms, in traps, in labs, in zoos and circuses, etc. It was great to see so many animal rights groups at the fair this year! Look for us in 2003!

On the weekend of August 9-11, 2002, ARK II participated in the annual Taste of the Danforth food festival. Typically, this is a very meat-centered event, but ARKII, along with a couple veggie-friendly eaters on the Danforth, brought to light the wonderful world vegetarianism and a plant-based diet.

ARK II marched in the 2002 Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30th in Toronto on behalf of the animals. Twenty-two activists "came out" to support animals in the 2002 Pride Parade in Toronto. Our marching contingent included couples, families (one child), gay and straight people who care about animals. We had 4 banners, one of which said "Vegetarians taste best". We had “sexy” fruit and vegetable signs, whistles and the marching group was rounded up by the Freedom for Animals banner that, coincidentally, has a rainbow on it that tied in well with the PRIDE rainbow. All of the marchers had a good time and the crowds were very receptive to our Freedom for Humans, Freedom for Animals... Pro-Vegetarian message. Thank you to all those who participated in the parade. Look for us next year!

ARK II’s anti-fur billboard was revealed in the winter of 2001-2002! In the heart of the Fashion – and fur – district, the billboard helps educate and remind people about the cruelty involved in fur and fur-trimmed garments!

ARK II participated in “The Lend-A-Hand Clean Our Land” on July 27th, 2001.
Six activists spent the afternoon picking up trash at Dentonia Park and Taylor Creek (West of Victoria Park and North of the Danforth). This is the second year ARK II has participated in this project - last year we were near Pottery Road on the banks of the Don River.

The Animal Rights Kollective again establishes an Internet presence in November of 2000.