Maple Leaf-Clad Animal Allies to Give Away 100 Thanksgiving Vegan Roasts 

For Immediate Release:
October 8, 2026

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

Ahead of Thanksgiving (Oct. 12), PETA is bringing a pro-turkey blitz to Winnipeg by handing out free vegan roasts while dozens of benches near local restaurants are blanketed with messages urging everyone to enjoy a “ThanksVegan” feast. PETA supporters dressed as vibrant autumnal maple leaves will fall in line in Osborne Village on Saturday to give away 100 vegan turkey roasts—encouraging passersby to turn over a new leaf by celebrating with a festive vegan feast that leaves turkeys in peace.

“Turkeys are devoted parents and spirited individuals who value their lives, and they don’t want to be carved up on a holiday table any more than a human would,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging everyone to tuck into a delicious vegan roast and leaf animals off their plates this Thanksgiving and beyond.”

When: Saturday, Oct. 10, 12:30 p.m.

Where: 469 River Ave., at the corner of River Avenue and Osborne Street, Winnipeg

The messages appear on dozens of benches near restaurants, including The Keg Steakhouse, Salisbury House, and Smitty’s Restaurant, bringing a pro-turkey appeal directly to diners ahead of the holiday.

Why: In nature, turkeys can live for over 10 years and spend their days caring for their young, building nests, and roosting in trees. But those raised for food are slaughtered within their first six months of life, and millions are killed to supply Canada’s Thanksgiving tables each year. Workers hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot defeathering tanks—often while they’re still conscious.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a turkey is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.