Protesters opposed to agency-ordered cull at ostrich farm prepare for long-term stay

NAKUSP — Protesters who have been camping this weekend at a British Columbia ostrich farm that’s been ordered to kill its entire flock because of bird flu say they’re preparing to stay longer.

Universal Ostrich Farm, in Edgewood, B.C., has been battling with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over the cull of 399 ostriches after the farm lost its court battle to save the birds.

One of the protesters, Jim Kerr, said more than 200 people showed up on Saturday to oppose the cull, and the plan at this moment is to stay “peaceful, loving, and lawful.”

But Kerr said that doesn’t mean they will make it easy for the authorities if they come by, saying the group intends to “slow them down” or catch them doing anything that would be “deemed to be against the law.”

“We are still currently, unfortunately, at the hands of the CFIA, which feels they have the legal right to come in here and cull these 399 ostriches,” said Kerr.

“The family has other plans. They’ve decided that they’re going to stand by their ostriches no matter what, while we pursue all legal avenues as well as just increasing the attendance here.”

He said supporters are making preparations for a longer-term stay at the farm.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay passed a resolution Thursday to not to allow the CFIA to dispose of ostrich carcasses in its landfills pending further testing of the birds for avian flu, which some opponents of the cull have interpreted to mean carcasses will be rejected unless they test positive.

The CFIA said it’s aware of the regional district’s motion, but the cull will still proceed with veterinary oversight, although operation dates and plans will not be shared with the public in advance.

“We have a duty to protect Canadians from the serious potential risks that Avian Influenza presents to our people and our economy,” the agency said in a statement Saturday.

The agency ordered the birds destroyed in December after avian flu was found on the farm and a Federal Court ruled to uphold the decision last week. More than 8.7 million birds have been culled in British Columbia since a highly infectious form of the avian flu showed up on farms starting in the spring of 2022.

Aidan McLaren-Caux, a board vice-chair with the Regional District of Central Kootenay, has said if the birds get tested and are found to be well, the hope is that the cull order will be rescinded.

Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, said she hasn’t heard from the CFIA yet, but her family saw the news that the authority will do the cull, in a way that it chooses, without prior notice.

“This is the corruption and the tyranny we’re fighting … This is not right,” said Pasitney, “We are at war with an agency that is supposed to be protecting farmers.”

“There’s no sympathy, there’s no empathy, and there’s no compassion towards what is happening here at the farm, and there is what we’re fighting for, which is just to retest these animals to prove to the public health that we are absolutely OK.”

The family said the animals that survived the outbreak have recovered, having developed what Pasitney said is “herd immunity” to the virus, making the birds more valuable to researchers alive than dead.

The Federal Court’s ruling said CFIA did testing with two dead birds following an anonymous report of “multiple ostrich deaths” at the farm, and the test results showed the birds had tested positive for avian flu.

The ruling said the total ostrich mortality tied to flu-like illness at the farm had reached 69 birds by the end of January.

“The Applicant alleges that the last death occurred on January 15, 2025, with the surviving majority appearing healthy or recovered. This reinforced its belief in the flock’s attainment of at least partial herd immunity against H5N1,” read the ruling.

The CFIA said in its Saturday statement that under the Health of Animals Act, if an owner refuses to meet the depopulation requirements outlined by the CFIA, the agency could move forward with depopulation itself or use a third-party contractor.

The authority said this could mean withholding part or all compensation for the depopulation from the owners.

The court decision said the farm could be compensated up to a maximum of $3,000 per ostrich.

The farmers’ cause has been mentioned by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who told a New York radio show last month he was “horrified by the idea that they are going to kill these animals.”

Opponents of the cull have been shooting videos and livestreaming from the farm over the weekend, with one person saying on a video that they will take on a “much more serious long-term activism role.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 18, 2025.

The Canadian Press