“I didn't mean to do this,” he says, almost apologetically.
Anyone eavesdropping on the conversation, might have thought the soft-spoken young man was atoning for some wrong deed he had done. Instead, the 24-year-old was simply explaining how he went from being in a rock band to opening Niagara's first vegan restaurant. Kyle Paton, owner/operator of downtown St. Catharines' Rise Above Restaurant, says he's an accidental restaurateur.
It all started, he says, with an innocuous question his friend Dylan Powell asked while interviewing him for his podcast, Vegan Police. Kyle was touring through the United States as part of the band Lemuria, and Dylan interviewed him while he was on the road.
“If the band could agree on one vegan baked good which you would like fans in every town to bring to the show for you, what would it be?” Dylan had asked.
Kyle's answer was simple and without hesitation: donuts.
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products, from diet, fashion and more. Whereas vegetarians exclude meat from their diets, vegans take it one step further by eliminating animal byproducts as well, including dairy and eggs. While vegetarianism is something that was accepted into society's lexicon quite some time ago, veganism had long sat on the fringes. With the “outing” of celebrity vegans like Alicia Silverstone, Lea Michele and Ellen, the term ‘vegan' is slowly creeping into the mainstream.
It was through music that Kyle first became interested in veganism. A lyric in a Propagandhi song caused him to stop and think about his choices. As a vegetarian, Kyle had already excluded meat from his diet. But the line “meat is still murder and dairy is still rape” made him re-evaulate veganism. Now, five years later, he doesn't look back.
“I realized how horrific it really was, the way animals were being treated,” he says before quoting another line from the band, “Life's too short to make others' shorter.”
While it was fairly easy to find vegan meals while on the road, Kyle said coming across a vegan donut was next to impossible. Then, while on tour, his friend Dylan showed up with a maple dip donut and Kyle was inspired.
“I began searching out vegan donuts, tasting and comparing them,” he says before listing off the names of different establishments across the United States that serve up the baked delight. “And then, I had to come home rather abruptly and to pass time, I made donuts.”
At first, Kyle said he was making them predominately for himself and friends. Then, as their popularity grew he expanded to the St. Catharines Farmers Market before opening his first storefront on Summer Street. He quickly outgrew that space and in November he opened in his current location, 120 St. Paul St. While he admits it's not something he set out to do, he said it's something he felt he had to do. With no other vegan restaurants in the area, there was something missing from the community. As for whether he thinks it will succeed, Kyle said he's got a lot of support from the vegan community.
Animal rights activist Dylan Powell is one of his most vocal supporters. Three years ago, he says there was nowhere to find vegan pizza in Niagara. Two years ago, Brooklyn's Restaurant in Thorold started offering one. Last year, you could grab a vegan pizza at Bella Noella or Brooklyn's, but now there are many options including Rise Above and Merchant Ale House.
“It's just growing, people are realizing there is a market for it and people are buying it,” he says. “And vegans in Niagara have built a community, they go online and they talk about where you can buy what.”
Growing up in Dunnville, Dylan said he and his sister would do animal rescues whenever possible. For him, it was second nature and something he thought everyone did. It wasn't until later that he learned not everyone placed the same value on the lives of animals. While his sister went on to become a vet technician, Dylan took a different approach and instead went on to become an animal activist. Through protests, campaigns, literature, radio shows, podcasts, bake sales, movie nights, lectures and concerts, Dylan has been working hard to educate and inform people about veganism and animal rights. Niagara Action for Animals' monthly vegan potlucks, held the first Friday of every month at the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara in St. Catharines, provides a non-confrontational way for people to learn more about veganism, Dylan says.
While he takes the politics aspect of his veganism seriously, Dylan is just as serious about building a community for vegans in Niagara. He says he became vegan because he knew morally and ethically he had to do something. He also recognized that he'd need a community of people to do it. Over the last few years, he says, the community has grown by leaps and bounds.
“Community building is behind everything we do,” he says.
That sentiment is shared by Kyle, who says while some people may see a vegan restaurant as excluding a large segment of the population - those who eat meat - he sees it as the exact opposite.
“Rise Above doesn't alienate anyone,” he notes. “There's something here for anyone, regardless of their dietary preference.”
Whether people are gluten-free, have limited diets because of allergies, or are just picky, he said there's something that appeals to everyone there.