KITCHENER -- A demonstration at Waterloo Public Square was one of many across Canada on Saturday afternoon that was hoping to shine a light on current food production methods.

Local activists told CTV Kitchener they want to help the public better understand the connection between pandemics and eating animals.

"It isn't actually the physical eating of the animals, but the fact that we continue to eat animals and have commercial farming of animals and wet markets, etc.," said Mo Markham, a member of the group Eating Animals Causes Pandemics. "This is what has brought us all of the epidemics and pandemics that we've had the last few years."

The group wore biohazard masks and hazmat suits help get their message across and also held signs that read "we are skating on thin ice" while standing next to the public square rink.