Latest news with #HealthofAnimalsAct
Global News
12-07-2025
- General
- Global News
Music festival raises funds to pay B.C. ostrich farm's legal fees
The phrase 'music saves lives' is being put to the test to help save the nearly 400 ostriches that call Edgewood, B.C., home., as a local farm continues to fight the cull order by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) after an avian flu outbreak last year. 'Our legal bills are definitely mounting, and money is ammunition as always in the battles that we face, and we are taking this as far as we need to,' said Katie Pasitney with Universal Ostrich Farm Inc. It's taking them across the country. Pasitney and her parents, who own the farm, are travelling to Ottawa for July 15 appeal hearings that are set to proceed on an expedited basis. 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 In a statement, the CFIA said 'The timeline recognizes the risks associated with the delays in the CFIA's ability to exercise its regulatory authority, granted to it under the Health of Animals Act.' Story continues below advertisement It also says, 'The CFIA looks forward to a resolution that allows for the continued implementation of its regulatory response, which aims to protect public and animal health, and minimize impacts on the domestic poultry industry and the Canadian economy.' 2:02 B.C. ostrich farm wins temporary stay of cull, but loses application to re-test birds The fundraising music festival is the most recent event to be championed by their supporters, who continue to find ways to help. 'That money is for our legal fees, operational costs of the farm, since we have been put under quarantine,' said Pasitney. The CFIA says the farm has not complied with quarantine requirements under the Health of Animals Act and has been fined $20,000, which they are disputing. If forced to pay, the farm owners hope that the weekend-long Live Stock Music Festival will help cover it.
Global News
24-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
Ostrich cull order temporarily paused at Edgewood, B.C. farm as owners head to court
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.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Epoch Times
RCMP Visit BC Ostrich Farm to Prepare for Potential Cull Enforcement and Arrests
RCMP liaison officers have visited a British Columbia ostrich farm to prepare for potential arrests at the property where protesters are trying to prevent a cull of about 400 birds ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Multiple livestreams broadcasting from the Universal Ostrich Farm, in Edgewood, B.C., on Wednesday morning showed three officers in police liaison jackets and another in uniform at the farm. They told protesters and the farm's owners they wanted whatever happened at the farm to be lawful and peaceful, with one telling livestreamer Jim Kerr they wanted to ensure the group understands what's happening. 'If there is enforcement that takes place, we want to make sure that it happens in a very peaceful manner. If you guys want to be arrested, if there's an injunction that's issued, we just don't want anyone to get hurt,' the officer said. He added that there was a right to protest in Canada. 'Sometimes that's lost in policing, and it has in the past. It's our job to ensure that our teams are all very calm and that things go off without anyone getting hurt. That's the biggest goal.' Related Stories 5/19/2025 5/17/2025 Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, told officers in the meeting that lasted less than an hour that 'people are on edge,' as she asked police not to bring weapons onto the property. The Regional District of Central Kootenay said last week that its landfill would not accept any ostrich carcasses without further testing for avian flu, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said on Saturday the cull will still proceed, and the timing will not be made public. Pasitney's mother, Karen Espersen, is seen in one of the videos streamed Wednesday standing behind a fence with the ostriches and telling the officers that the group does not stand for aggression. An officer was asked when the cull might happen but he said he had 'no idea.' The RCMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the visit. In a statement issued later Wednesday, the family said their goal was to save what they say are healthy animals from 'an inhumane and unjustified death' and that the policies around the cull do not serve the public interest. 'Farmers are juggling biosecurity measures, animal care, community concerns and so much more — this isn't about avoiding hard conversations, it's about supporting those who work tirelessly as farmers and for what is right,' the statement says. The food inspection agency ordered the birds destroyed in December after an avian flu outbreak that killed dozens of ostriches, and a Federal Court judge recently upheld the decision. In a response to questions about whether the current health of the remaining birds had any impact on the decision to cull, the agency said Tuesday that a single laboratory confirmed case of avian flu 'is sufficient to declare a premises infected, given how easily the disease can spread to other birds.' The agency said Saturday that under the Health of Animals Act, if an owner refuses to meet 'depopulation' requirements it could move forward itself or use a third-party contractor and potentially withhold part or all compensation from the owners. Last week's court decision says the farm could be compensated up to $3,000 per ostrich, potentially representing a payout of about $1.2 million if all are culled. The family disputes the $3,000-per-bird price tag in their statement, saying a rooster is worth $7,500, while an 'antibody-producing hen' is worth $93,000. The farmers say their flock has developed herd immunity against avian flu and is valuable to science.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Dr. Oz Offers to Relocate BC Ostriches Facing Cull, but Owners Decline Help
The operators of an ostrich farm in southeastern British Columbia say United States health official and former television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz has offered to save the birds from an impending cull by relocating them to his ranch in Florida. But Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, said they aren't interested in moving the flock, although they're grateful for the support. Oz is the administrator for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is the second health official in the administration of President Donald Trump to try to prevent the cull, after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr intervened last week. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency ordered the cull last year after an avian flu outbreak at the farm, and a judge tossed out a challenge this month that sought to stop the order. Pasitney said she spoke with Oz on Monday, confirming a report in the New York Post quoting him as saying he offered to relocate the nearly 400 ostriches to his ranch. 'It's not like we're looking at transporting our ostriches anywhere, but I think what the message is (about) the growing support across the States,' she said. Related Stories 5/26/2025 5/24/2025 'Even people like Dr. Oz want to be involved and (want to) see these animals live -- even offering his 900 acre ranch in Florida.' She said New York billionaire businessman and radio host John Catsimatidis had connected her with both Oz and Kennedy. 'He's well connected and he's very passionate about this cause,' Pasitney said. Kennedy wrote a public letter to CFIA president Paul MacKinnon last week, saying the birds should be spared as there was 'significant value' in studying their immune response to avian flu. But the agency said Monday in response to a question about Kennedy's letter that the 'humane depopulation' of the flock would proceed. It said dates and plans will not be shared publicly, citing privacy protections for producers. Catsimatidis issued his own press release on Tuesday calling on MacKinnon to stop the planned cull. 'We're calling for a temporary halt and an independent review. Let the U.S. FDA and veterinary scientists evaluate these birds—don't destroy them before humane alternatives are considered,' he said in the release. 'Dr. Oz is standing by to assist. We're not asking for miracles, just common sense and compassion.' Protesters have also gathered at the farm in an attempt to prevent the cull and Universal Ostrich Farm filed an appeal seeking a 'stay of the execution and enforcement' of the culling order in Vancouver Monday. The appeal claims the Federal Court 'made multiple reversible errors' when it upheld the agency's decision to cull the ostrich herd earlier this month. The notice of appeal says the Federal Court's decision 'took an unduly narrow' view of the agency's mandate under the Health of Animals Act, wrongly concluded that expert reports weren't needed, didn't fully consider the consequences of the cull decision, and didn't properly determine if the agency's denial of further testing of the animals was reasonable. It also claims the farm's lawyers in the Federal Court judicial review proceedings provided 'ineffective assistance' that 'amounted to incompetence, and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.' It says 'prior counsel had a financial stake in the destruction of the appellant's ostriches, resulting in a blatant conflict of interest.' Lee Turner, one of the farm's former lawyers, said Monday he 'certainly did not' have a conflict of interest, and his co-counsel Michael Carter did a 'a remarkable job with the short window of time that he had.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
RCMP speak to protesters at B.C. ostrich farm, warn of possible arrests as bird cull looms
RCMP visited a B.C. ostrich farm on Wednesday, where dozens of people have gathered to protest the ordered culling of 400 birds, which a federal judge ruled last week could go ahead. The farm's owners have been fighting the order from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) since December, when some of their birds first tested positive for avian flu. On Wednesday, four officers, some wearing uniforms identifying them as liaison officers, visited Universal Ostrich in Edgewood, B.C., while reporters from CBC/Radio-Canada were on site. The farm's owners, Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski, listened to the officers from behind a fence, surrounded by a few dozen of their ostriches, while police spoke to Espersen's daughter Katie Pasitney, who has been acting as a spokesperson for the farm. About 20 protesters of the few dozen on site also gathered to speak to the police and livestream the police told protesters and the farm's owners that they want whatever happens at the farm to be lawful and peaceful, with one officer saying that if protesters want to be arrested, police "don't want anyone to get hurt." The officer said they want people's right to protest respected, but if arrests begin, they want it to happen "peacefully." Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, told the officers in the meeting that lasted less than an hour that "people are on edge," as she asked police not to bring weapons onto the property. An unidentified officer was asked when the cull might happen but said he had "no idea." The CFIA has said it will be moving froward with the cull despite the local regional district passing a motion saying it will not accept the birds' carcasses at local landfills until the CFIA conducts more tests on the birds and makes those results public. Universal Ostrich says 69 of its birds died during an avian flu outbreak earlier this year, but argues the remainder are healthy and do not pose a risk. The CFIA, though, says it must kill all birds in infected flocks due to the risk of avian flu mutating and passing back and forth between domestic and wild bird populations, potentially impacting human health. "The CFIA will begin the humane depopulation and disposal of birds at the infected premises with veterinary oversight. Operational plans and dates will not be shared with the public in advance," the CFIA said in a statement. "We have a duty to protect Canadians from the serious potential risks that avian influenza presents to our people and our economy." That position was upheld by a federal court judge last week who ruled the CFIA has the authority to make complex decisions based on scientific and economic priorities. The agency said Saturday that under the Health of Animals Act, if an owner refuses to meet the depopulation requirements the CFIA could move forward itself or use a third-party contractor and potentially withhold part or all compensation normally due to owners. The court decision says the farm could be compensated up to $3,000 per ostrich, potentially representing a payout of about $1.2 million if all of the roughly 400 birds are culled.
