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Academy Award-winner Joaquin Phoenix attends vigil outside Ontario slaughterhouse

Actor Joaquin Phoenix stopped by a regular vigil outside a slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ont., on Friday. 

Toronto Pig Save, which holds the vigils each week, says the Academy Award-winner paid tribute to Regan Russell, who died at one of the events earlier in the year. 

Russell, 65, a longtime animal rights activist, was giving water to pigs that were en route to the Fearman’s Pork slaughterhouse when she was struck and killed.

Halton police charged the truck driver with careless driving causing death, a provincial traffic offence that could result in anything from a monetary penalty to two years in jail.

The activists have called on police to upgrade that to a criminal charge, but police say there’s no evidence to suggest the 28-year-old driver struck Russell with criminal intent. 

Phoenix used his Oscars acceptance speech this year to promote veganism. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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