New Westminster resident Melissa Balfour is passionate about the Royal City and the causes that are near and dear to her heart, including veganism, animal rights and food empowerment. She blogs about these and other topics at www.thehungrytaurus. com. Balfour also puts her party planning skills to good use with her Pretty Up Parties business, which provides ideas on themes, games, activities and snacks for birthday parties and baby and bridal showers. Let's get to know this go-getter.
Theresa McManus: Can you introduce yourself?
Melissa Balfour: My name is Melissa Balfour, I'm almost 35 (yikes!), and I live in uptown New West with a roommate and my cat. I'm a business owner, NEXT New West committee member and a fairly happy person all around.
T: How did you end up in New Westminster?
M: I was born in Montreal, and my family moved out West when I was six years old. The product of divorced parents, I lived a fairly nomadic life, moving back and forth from B.C. to Quebec to Alberta and back again to B.C. I finished high school in Pitt Meadows, went to college at BCIT for television broadcasting and then spent two-and-a-half years living in England. When I got back from England, I moved to Coquitlam, and after outgrowing my basement suite, I rented a house in New West. Two days after moving into my neighbourhood, our street had a block party. I knew then I had found the best place to live ever!
T: Can you tell me a bit about Pretty Up Parties?
M: Pretty Up Parties came about when I found myself decorating my friends' bridal and baby showers. As their kids grew up, I started doing their birthday parties, too. I noticed I was collecting all this decor, and I had a lot of fun doing this type of thing, so I naturally gravitated towards growing this idea as business.
T: What other jobs have you had?
M: After high school I worked for Air Canada for six years, then moved onto the film industry after college. When I came back to Canada I worked for the floatplane company West Coast Air in Coal Harbour, then went to the B.C. SPCA, where I became a fundraiser. I left that job to pursue entrepreneurship.
T: Tell me about your connection to Martha Stewart Living and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
M: When I worked at the B.C. SPCA, I created a program that involved giving to the animals through a wedding registry and favours. It became a big hit with our donors, and I was interviewed by several wedding magazines. The producers of Martha Stewart Radio found out about it and called my office to set up an interview time with Darcy Miller, who is Martha's wedding right-hand lady.
For the Ellen show there was a young boy named Jacob who was fundraising for my program that I managed under the B.C. SPCA. He had sent out these requests that celebrities sign dog bandanas that I was to auction off for the animals. He wrote to Ellen, and she invited him on the show. I got to fly to L.A. and be behindthe-scenes (then dance in the audience) while Jacob talked about fundraising for the B.C. SPCA, and then Ellen gave us signed dog bandanas and a cheque for $5,000. It was a pretty great day.
T: You're also a supporter of animal rights - tell me about that.
M: I believe it's important to speak up for those who can't or aren't able to speak for themselves. I strongly believe that as a consumer we vote with our dollars, and those dollars can be used to speak up for animals and humans the world over.
T: What are the causes close to your heart?
M: There are quite a few! Some that stand out for me though is a Vancouver group called Shark Truth (www.shark truth.com). After watching the film Sharkwater, I was so sad to see that the barbaric practice of shark finning occurs today.
Sharks are fished for their fins, and still alive they are dumped back into the water to essentially drown. That film deeply affected me, and I fully support the work Shark Truth does in trying to ban the consumption of shark fin in Canada.
Another cause that I admire is The Food Empowerment Project (www.foodis power.org). They cover a broad spectrum of topics like human slavery in the chocolate trade, ethical food choices, immigrant worker rights and the very basic fact that everyone should have access to nutritious food.
It's really crazy in this day and age that in North America some people don't have access to fresh fruit and veggies. I'm not sure it's a cause exactly, but I'm in love with the Royal City Farmers' Market (rcfm.ca). I love what they do, how they bring the community together, how they spotlight non-profit groups, everything they do appeals to me.
T: You've described yourself as a food activist - what is this?
M: Essentially I love the power that food has in bringing people together. My particular passion is vegan food and sharing this with my friends, family and my community. I'm trying to show veganism in a positive light and to let people in on a great secret ... food can be vegan and delicious. It's true. I also believe it's important to eat less processed food and a more plant-based whole foods diet. I'm always happy to speak to anyone looking for guidance or information on living this kind of lifestyle.
T: Was there a particular event that led you to become a vegetarian/vegan?
M: I became vegetarian when I moved out on my own. It kind of just happened. I had a friend at the time who was also vegetarian, and I guess she influenced my decision in that way. I was by no means a healthy eater. I hardly ate any vegetables and pretty much survived on Mr. Noodles, veggie dogs and pasta. I cringe thinking about it.
It wasn't until I was 24 that I got my first vegetarian cookbook, and then my passion for cooking exploded. I've collected so many cookbooks, and I love to cook now and eat all sorts of great veggies and grains.
I became vegan two years ago after reading Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. That's when instead of giving up cheese, I decided to give up animal cruelty. I read in her book that the veal industry was directly related to dairy, and if I wouldn't support the meat industry how could I support the dairy industry then?
T: Tell me about the New Veganminster Project.
M: The New Veganminster Project came about after I visited the city of Portland and ate so much amazing food I could barely move for a week. I figured with the incredible selection of small family-owned restaurants we could definitely have a vegan mecca of our very own here in New Westminster. So started my campaign to find and highlight existing vegan food as well as create some new experiences, too.
T: Is New Westminster a vegan-friendly city?
M: It absolutely is! From having Karmavore Vegan Shop, to a vegan winery like Pacific Breeze, to Shine Wellness and Crepe Des Amis with their vegan menu. This city is amazing for vegan food. Plus there is so much cycling and a wonderful arts scene, the theatre, so much to see and do. I want to rebrand New Westminster as a vegan culinary destination.
T: Do you have any hobbies?
M: Ha ha ha, who has time for hobbies? Just
kidding. I
bake a lot. Which means I have to go to the gym. I love to bake; I am a huge fan of the library and can read a book a day if I have the time. I also have a love/hate relationship with my backyard garden. I love the idea of growing my own food, and I do so every year, but oh my goodness, it can be so much work! The outcome is completely worth it though. I also love to ride my bike, which I picked up at New West Cycle. I've named her the Blue Bandit, and I love riding her through town.
T: What do you like about living in New Westminster?
M: Everything. I love how I can walk everywhere; I love how I know exactly where to find the best deals on groceries. I love that I know my neighbours and that the people I don't know still say hi to me.
I love going to the Coming Home Café and everyone knowing my name, and they are thrilled to see me. I love that for the first time in my life I finally understand what community feels like, and being part of that makes me so very happy.
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