By Canadian Press

Quebec festival cancels greased pig race that has drawn ire of animal activists

May 1, 2019 | 11:06 AM

MONTREAL — A small-town Quebec festival has cancelled a controversial race that featured participants trying to grab greased pigs.

Animal rights groups including the SPCA have long denounced the event in Ste-Perpetue, Que., which featured domestic pigs let loose in a muddy pen and then chased by contestants who had to catch them and toss them into a barrel.

But Festival du Cochon director Michel Jutras says the criticism by rights groups isn’t the main reason the festival 150 kilometres northeast of Montreal won’t be hosting its best-known event.

Rather, he says organizers wanted to update the festival for its 42nd edition and prevent any possible transmission of African swine fever, a disease that has been found Europe and is feared by Canadian producers.

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Jutras says there won’t be any greased pigs at the festival this year, but there will still be many other forms of entertainment, including what he describes as a “humorous” event featuring wild boars.

He says it’s unclear whether the festival’s namesake animal will be back in future years.

The Canadian Press