logo
Ostrich cull order temporarily paused at Edgewood, B.C. farm as owners head to court

Ostrich cull order temporarily paused at Edgewood, B.C. farm as owners head to court

Global News24-06-2025
An ostrich farm in Edgewood, B.C., has received a temporary reprieve from the federal government, pausing the planned culling of nearly 400 birds.
Universal Ostrich Farm has been fighting a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) order ever since an avian flu outbreak last year threatened to wipe out its entire flock.
The stay was issued on June 20, 2025, by the Hon. Justice Roussel of the Federal Court of Appeal. It temporarily halts the CFIA's implementation of its disposal order while the farm appeals a previous decision that dismissed its application for judicial review. The appeal is set to proceed on an expedited basis, with hearings scheduled for July.
Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, calls the decision a critical victory.
'It's an absolutely amazing relief,' she said.
Story continues below advertisement
'We wouldn't have been identified as a recovered flock if we hadn't pushed this hard to save them. We're one of the only recovered flocks in Canada. There's a lot to gain from our ostriches standing here, rather than being eliminated.'
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The CFIA, however, maintains its actions have been legally and scientifically justified. The agency stated the original cull order was issued in line with the Health of Animals Act, after the CFIA's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on the farm.
The CFIA says it isolated the H5N1 virus from samples taken at the site, and genome sequencing revealed a novel viral reassortment not seen elsewhere in Canada.
2:09
B.C. ostrich farm in defiance of cull order
Despite Pasitney's calls for additional testing to prove the flock no longer poses a threat, the Federal Court of Appeal has denied the farm's request to conduct independent tests.
Story continues below advertisement
According to the CFIA, there is already a robust national and international regulatory framework for testing zoonotic pathogens, and additional tests would not change the outcome. The agency emphasized that 'stamping-out' — the rapid depopulation of infected flocks — is the globally recognized strategy for containing HPAI, protecting public health, and maintaining international trade access, which is vital for Canada's $1.75 billion poultry export industry.
Still, Pasitney argues the birds have developed herd immunity and could be useful for scientific research.
'We want to be part of the solution — not continued culling,' she said. 'That's going to be an important message as we move forward to Ottawa. We're gaining momentum, and farmers are contacting us saying they want to see a better Canada.'
The farm has also faced enforcement issues. The CFIA claims Universal Ostrich Farm has not complied with quarantine requirements laid out under the Health of Animals Act and warns that further non-compliance could lead to additional enforcement action.
At the same time, the farm is disputing $20,000 in federal fines related to alleged violations of the Act.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

70-year-old hit-and-run victim says ICBC left her in the dark about coverage
70-year-old hit-and-run victim says ICBC left her in the dark about coverage

Global News

time4 hours ago

  • Global News

70-year-old hit-and-run victim says ICBC left her in the dark about coverage

A 70-year-old woman who was injured in a Vancouver hit-and-run is speaking out about her experience with ICBC. Loreen English was hit by an SUV as she was crossing Grandview Highway at Slocan Street on July 11. The vehicle drove off, and no one got a clear look at the licence plate. 'I couldn't lift my head because I have a broken collarbone, I've got a fractured left hip and pelvis, broken nose, blood's pouring from my face,' English told Global News. But English said her trouble with ICBC began after she was in hospital and started to try and process her claim. 'When I got in touch with ICBC,(they said) well, we need to know if the licence plate, if it was a B.C. plate or if it was from out of province,' she said. Story continues below advertisement 'It's a hit and run. You're probably never going to know that. And then she tried to explain to me, 'Well, you know, it depends, because if it's an out-of-province vehicle, it'll fall under different insurance.'' 2:06 B.C. artist still battling ICBC after crash leaves him with permanent eye damage From there, English alleges things went downhill. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy She said she wasn't getting clear answers from the public insurer about what mobility equipment and treatment services she would be eligible for. 'All I was getting was, well, just keep the receipts. We may not or we may cover, but keep the receipts. I'm a senior. I'm on a basic pension. I'm living in subsidized housing. I can't forecast,' she said. 'I just needed to know when I leave here, I'm going to have to have equipment in my apartment, equipment to sleep, proper equipment to walk, proper to get me from just simple things like the laundry room or go get my mail and go to the apartment. Because I cannot walk on my own.' Story continues below advertisement English said ICBC only became responsive once she involved Global News. 'Boom, my phone started to blow up with ICBC trying to call me,' she said. ICBC spokesperson Greg Harper stressed that at no point did the insurer deny benefits to English. 'When we were first informed of the claim, roughly two weeks ago, we didn't have information about the driver or the vehicle involved, so we sought out that information while she was recovering in hospital,' he said. He acknowledged that if police were able to confirm the driver was from out of province, then English would have to deal with that person's insurer, but said ICBC would still cover anything the primary insurer didn't. 2:16 Widow upset with ICBC 'no fault' settlement for deadly crash But he maintained that she would be fully covered either way. Story continues below advertisement 'Our focus right now is her transition from the hospital to her home. We want to make sure that's as smooth as possible. So we have a hospital discharge team that's been working with hospital staff. We have an occupational therapist that's been assigned to her case as well,' he said. Harper added that English would be eligible for modifications to her home or help with her day-to-day activities, if they're necessary. English, meanwhile, said the experience has left a 'bad taste' in her mouth. 'I think they should be much more open to the victim as to the steps that they are going to take, let that person know, because when you are you are crippled up, you're in pain, you're on medication that you don't really normally take, and you're sitting here lying in bed worrying and just driving yourself crazy, worrying about how are you going to manage when you leave the hospital,' she said. 'I think ICBC should be really sympathetic and really point out immediately what's going to happen, what are the steps … we're going to hold your hand. We're going to get through this.' Vancouver police, meanwhile, continue to search for the driver in the collision. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is asked to contact the VPD Collision Investigation Unit at 604-717-3012 or email vpdciu@

Dogs, crews and helicopters deployed to find missing B.C. hiker in Banff
Dogs, crews and helicopters deployed to find missing B.C. hiker in Banff

Global News

time12 hours ago

  • Global News

Dogs, crews and helicopters deployed to find missing B.C. hiker in Banff

The search continues for a B.C. paramedic who has been missing since Wednesday while on a hike and was last seen in Banff National Park. Chad Singer, 42, of Radium, B.C., started his hike near the Aurora Creek trail, east of Radium Hot Springs. RCMP say he was last seen that afternoon in Marvel Pass in the national park. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Police say the trail system can connect to trails near Marvel Lake and the trail network between Sunshine Mountain, Banff and Mount Shark in Kananaskis. RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Gina Slaney says the Parks Canada Banff Field Unit is managing the search, which includes ground search teams, a helicopter visual thermal search and the Parks Canada canine team. She says the RCMP is also sending in its own dogs to help find Singer. Story continues below advertisement 'At approximately 2 p.m. on the 23rd he separated from his friend as he wished to continue a climb that his friend didn't want to attempt,' Slaney said.

From tree cover to green roofs, how are cities fighting extreme heat?
From tree cover to green roofs, how are cities fighting extreme heat?

Global News

time2 days ago

  • Global News

From tree cover to green roofs, how are cities fighting extreme heat?

As a heat wave grips parts of Ontario amid a scorching summer, some Canadian cities have been trying new techniques to try to tackle extreme heat, which can quickly turn deadly. A Statistics Canada study last year showed there were roughly 670 deaths between 2000 and 2020 attributable to extreme heat events in 12 Canadian cities. In 2021, a heat dome in British Columbia killed an estimated 619 people in one week. And this week, temperatures in parts of Ontario are set to feel like the mid-40s C — and cities can feel the heat keenly due to how they're built, experts say. 'The surfaces in the cities are such that they absorb more heat and that causes the entire environment to become hotter and the temperature rises as well,' said Sandeep Agrawal, a professor at the University of Alberta's School of Urban and Regional Planning. Story continues below advertisement It's due to the 'urban heat island effect,' which can make a city one to three degrees hotter than the surrounding area during the day and warmer at night, according to decades of urban studies. Among the reasons are glassy or concrete skyscrapers that absorb a lot of heat during the day and take longer to cool down at night. James Voogt, a Western University professor of geography and environment, said heat is a top 'weather hazard.' 'Our ability to physiologically respond to those is relatively slow,' he said. From increasing tree cover to installing 'green' roofs, here's how some Canadian cities have been trying new techniques to try to tackle extreme heat. What's been done to cool cities down so far? A study by the European Commission in 2023 found that increasing tree coverage to 30 per cent in European cities could lower temperatures by an average 0.4 C, with a maximum effect of 5.9 C in some areas, avoiding 2,644 premature deaths. Story continues below advertisement Planting more trees is one approach some Canadian cities are using. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Toronto plans to increase the number of trees covering streets to 40 per cent canopy cover by 2050 by planting about 120,000 trees a year. 'So you want to make use of strategic planting of trees to try to take advantage of the fact that a tree cools by shading a surface and a tree cools by evapo-transpiring water,' Voogt said. 'So if you strategically locate your tree well, you can get maximum benefit.' In May, Vancouver approved an update to its urban forest strategy with a goal of covering 30 per cent of the city with tree canopy by 2050. 1:55 'Wet-bulb' temperatures: What are they and why can they be so deadly? Trees take time to grow, but they can still benefit cities in the long term, said Sara Barron, program director for the Master of Urban Forestry Leadership Program at the University of British Columbia. Story continues below advertisement 'That immediate impact, it's not going to help maybe with next year's heat wave, but we know climate change is a shift that's going to be happening for years,' she said. Voogt cautioned that it may be difficult to just dig up areas of downtown Toronto to plant trees, but green roofs are an alternative. The Urban Land Institute said green roofs replace dark surfaces with soil and vegetation, noting that the 'greening' of five per cent of Toronto's area lowered citywide temperatures by an estimated 1.5 to two degrees. Toronto implemented a green roof bylaw in 2009, requiring new commercial and industrial developments of more than 2,000 square metres to incorporate them. Other cities have also taken steps, including Saskatoon, which offers a stormwater credit for commercial buildings with green roofs, and Port Coquitlam, B.C., which fast-tracks development applications that incorporate green roofs. There are also other techniques cities are using outside of Canada. The Spanish city of Murcia implemented 61 measures to adapt to extreme heat, including resurfacing dark asphalt roads with lighter-coloured materials to reflect sunlight, with Dallas doing something similar by installing reflective pavement. The Texas city has also required new buildings to use materials that reflect solar heat on at least 75 per cent of the surface or have 50 per cent of the roof covered by vegetation. Story continues below advertisement Still more to do, experts say While some cities have taken steps, Agrawal said 'better design' is needed. 'So incorporating more vegetation, vegetation cover and tree canopies, (and) permeable material within the built environment I think would lead to a more sort of sustainable and cooler environment than the current way of doing it, where it's sort of a patchwork of things being done,' Agrawal said. Barron noted changes like using lighter material for roads to lower heat absorption and adding water where you can, such as water fountains, can make a difference. 1:59 'Extremes you never want to be at': As temperatures spike, so do health hazards Using misting systems can also help with cooling, which she said has been used in places like Australia. The systems are set up to spray a mist of water around an area, or to let people walk through them to cool down. Story continues below advertisement Voogt said city planning can also improve how it handles heat, though he said that is a longer-term solution. 'So changing the form of the city, the way it's laid out, how the buildings are spaced, that's longer term, right, because you don't change the buildings that often,' he said. 'What we have to do is start thinking about cities that are a little bit more optimized in terms of the climate they're embedded in.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store