Debra Wall on Facebook Debra Wall
Biography
I was born and raised in Winnipeg, but it was in the Whiteshell and the boreal forest of northern Manitoba where my love for all things wild blossomed. I had my "a-ha moment" while taking pre-veterinary courses in the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba. When a little calf I met licked my face I realized they were no different than a dog and immediately stopped eating meat. I transitioned to veganism and became an animal activist. I worked as a veterinary assistant in small animal clinics for 35 years and am now retired.
Through lived experience I am familiar with the struggles of being a low-income earner and finding affordable, companion animal inclusive housing as well as the safety concerns of a single female, both in the home and out on the streets. And not owning a car has given me first-hand knowledge of the challenges of active transportation, particularly walking and cycling.
A self-proclaimed "hack of all trades," I fancy myself to be a bit of an artist and writer and have had dozens of letters to the editor published. I have been playing drums and singing in Winnipeg punk bands since 1979. I completed the first Manitoba Marathon on June 17, 1979 and entered a bodybuilding competition for my 40th birthday. In the 80's I earned a certificate in massage therapy. I have donated blood 55 times and, once it's a wrap, my body is to go to the Department of Anatomy at the University of Manitoba. But, until that day arrives, I live with my family of rescued animals who I lovingly refer to as "The Gang of Fur."
Reason for running
Our poor, poor planet is much too close to her tipping point for us to be enacting policies that will only serve to push her over the edge. Her finite resources can provide for everyone's needs, but not everyone's greed and must be shared with the other species who have the same right to be here as ourselves. We must preserve whatever precious little pristine wilderness remaining and re-wild much of that stolen from the animal nations. We have to stop using our beautiful home as our personal garbage dump and sewer.
Since we put a man on the moon the human population has more than doubled while that of the wild animal nations has more than halved. We are in the midst of the Sixth Mass Extinction and losing species at an unprecedented rate. Much of this is driven by animal agriculture, one of the most destructive industries on the planet. We need to operationalize the Canada Food Guide, end the billions of dollars in subsidies to animal ag and help farmers transition to a compassionate, efficient, sustainable and healthy plant-based food system. Our emissions targets will never be reached unless we do so and we can no longer afford to continue ignoring "the cow in the room."
It was Gandhi who said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." We ain't doin' so good. Canada has the shameful reputation of having some of the weakest animal protection and transport laws in the developed world. Recent incidents of horrific cruelty that have made the news in Manitoba have brought this into bold relief. Under Canadian law, animals are considered mere property and not even recognized as sentient. Sadly, any attempt at meaningful change, no matter how incremental, is met with vehement opposition by slippery slope politicians and industry with vested interests. I have no doubt advancements would be made if we had proportional representation where all votes count and every voice is heard. In countries where PR exists, members of animal rights parties have been voted into parliament.
Animal issues are of increasing importance to Canadians and I am running to put them onto the other parties' radars. The voices of our animal cousins must be part of the discussion if we are to reach a place of true reconciliation. Otherwise we are merely regurgitating the same anthropocentric and colonial narrative that got us into the mess we find ourselves today.
animalprotectionparty.ca www.animalprotectionparty.ca