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Quebec native on the road in the Okanagan to promote his vigorous vegan lifestyle

Frank Metivier is encouraging others to get the facts about turning vegan during his travels
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Frank Metivier the Vigorours Vegan Vagabond was in Penticton on his way south for the winter and is planning to promote the vegan lifestyle along the way. Mark Brett/Western News

In the summer months Frank Metivier (aka Vigorous Vegan Vagabond) can be found dangling from a rope washing windows on a high rise or doing scaling work on a rock face.

And when the Quebec native is not busy earning some high altitude bucks for his winter sojourn south he can be seen drifting along the wind currents beneath a parachute or shooting the curl on the rollers off the coast of Vancouver Island.

But the 47 year old’s real passion and something that causes him to do impromptu handstands on the roof of his duly appointed vegan van, is all about food.

“I turned vegan last winter when I was in Indonesia because I’d been vegetarian for four or five years and, because obviously, I care about animals and if I cannot kill an animal to eat, why should I pay somebody to kill for me,” said Metivier during a stop in Penticton on his way to the Island. “This process (vegetarian) went on for a few years — still eating dairy products and eggs — but I learned more about that industry I said ‘that’s it, I cannot contribute to this.’”

So, after sanding down the van he bought in Canmore Alta. a couple of months ago, he decided put his message out there where everyone could see it.

It even included attaching a little box to the side which contains business cards with his Facebook page address and a list of 12 titles of videos ranging from vegan recipes and restaurants to animal ethics.

“I thought it would be a good way to inform people when I’m travelling which is usually seven months a year,” said Metivier. “The logo on the van is the same as my Facebook, it’s quite visible, you know it’s pretty hard to go undercover, everybody’s watching.”

After surfing on the Island he plans to head down the coast and along Baja California before catching the ferry to mainland Mexico and …

“Snowbird? Yes, maybe more exotic tropical bird,” Metivier described himself. “I’ve been doing that for 27 years, it’s pretty easy actually. I don’t own a house, I don’t have a mortgage, I’m not married so all the money I make in the summer time goes to my travel. It’s been like that for me almost forever.”

His choice of elevated occupation stemmed from his love of rock climbing which he had a chance to enjoy at Skaha Bluffs while in Penticton.

“It’s doing work places where people mostly cannot go,” he said. “It’s more dangerous but there are people like us who do it. I try to avoid confined spaces but it can be a lot of fun. I worked on the Olympic Stadium in Montreal last summer, repainting the big mast.”

His goal is to the spread the positive aspects of becoming vegan through choice.

“I just people them to know what’s happening out there — billions of animals that get killed every year, the impact on the environment, your health. When people go to the grocery store and know where their food is coming from, you can make better choices.”


 

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