Judge refuses to allow more avian flu tests on ostriches at B.C. farm
Social Sharing
Canada's Federal Court of Appeal is refusing to allow the owners of a British Columbia ostrich farm to conduct further testing of their flock for avian flu in a bid to avert a cull ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The same ruling, which was issued on Friday but only published online on Monday, grants a temporary stay of the cull until a ruling on an appeal that will be held no later than the week of July 21.
It says Universal Ostrich Farms has satisfied all three tests required for a temporary stay on the cull of about 400 birds at the farm in Edgewood, B.C., that has become the focus of protests and international attention.
The farm had also sought an order permitting it to conduct diagnostic tests on the birds and to suspend any directives from the food inspection agency prohibiting such tests, but Judge Sylvie Roussel denied both requests without explanation.
Supporters back ostrich farm fighting cull despite past cases of avian flu
1 month ago
Duration 3:36
The remote community of Edgewood, B.C., is now ground zero for a fight to save 400 ostriches. Protesters have descended on Universal Ostrich Farm this weekend, defying an avian flu cull order. Radio-Canada's Camille Vernet was there this week, exploring why people are so deeply invested in this flock's fate.
Dozens of ostriches died at the farm in December and January amid an outbreak of avian flu, and the food inspection agency says all birds in the flock must be culled under its "stamping out" policy.
Roussel says the farm would have faced irreparable harm if the stay were not granted, and the balance of convenience favours granting the pause.
Supporters of the farm have been camped at the property for weeks to prevent the cull, while U.S. authorities including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have called for the birds to be spared for their potential scientific value.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
18 minutes ago
- CTV News
Extreme heat can have greater impact on children
Toronto Watch CTV's health reporter Pauline Chan, has more on the best ways to keep kids safe as the temperature soars.
Globe and Mail
28 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Ontario heat wave prompts concerns about sweltering schools and suffering students, educators
Five-year-old Emmett Mullins, pale and warm to the touch when he returned from school on Thursday, started vomiting at home. Emmett's symptoms were not the result of the flu, but from being overheated: Earlier that afternoon, he had fallen asleep in his hot classroom watching a movie. His mother, Alexandra Mullins, was advised by Telehealth Ontario to take him to an Ottawa emergency room. At the hospital, Emmett's temperature and heart rate were found to be elevated, and he was dehydrated. He was given a popsicle with electrolytes and was closely monitored before he was able to return home. Ms. Mullins has joined a growing chorus of parents, along with teacher unions and health groups, who are speaking out about the dangers associated with sweltering schools – especially during a heat wave that has gripped much of Ontario and southwestern Quebec. Many schools, including the one Emmett attends in the nation's capital, do not have air conditioning. 'We are already at a point where kids are going to get hurt,' Ms. Mullins said Monday. 'I would be very surprised if there weren't more kids in the city that ended up with heat exhaustion at the end of today.' Record-breaking temperatures on Monday prompted both Ottawa and Toronto to take precautionary measures, including setting up cooling stations, with forecasters anticipating no relief in sight for days. Christie MacDonald, the emergency services department head at the London Health Sciences Centre, said children and elderly patients are more vulnerable to health effects associated with sweltering temperatures. Patients can experience a range of heat-related symptoms, such as feeling unwell and being unable to sweat, as well as signs of heat stroke such as confusion and chest pain. What are the signs of heat illness? 'The heat impacts them dramatically,' said Dr. MacDonald, who advises drinking lots of fluids, and also looking out for family and community members who may not have the ability to get to a cooler area. Ms. Mullins said that, while the dangers associated with cold temperatures, such as frostbite, are commonly understood, many often think about heat as being solely uncomfortable. There is a need to address how to manage the heat because classrooms are getting warmer because of climate change, she said. Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones on Monday placed the onus of action on school boards. She told reporters that school boards across the province have plans in place, including modifying classroom locations. 'I will leave it to the school boards to make sure they put the pieces in place to keep their students protected, because each school is different and unique for what they are looking at in terms of where the students are best protected,' she said. In Ontario, there is no maximum threshold for temperature that prompts a shutdown of workplaces established by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Educators are encouraged by their school board to protect themselves and their students by drinking lots of water, wearing light clothing and avoiding direct sunlight. 'People are sweltering in the classrooms with the inability to do anything to actually address it, other than go outside and sit under a tree,' said Karen Littlewood, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation. Students and teachers, she added, end up trying to survive the day in the face of scorching heat. Some parents have opted to keep their children home. Ms. Littlewood said there are staff who cannot tolerate the heat for medical reasons and must call in sick. 'Nobody can work under those conditions,' she said. 'Kids can't learn under those conditions. People go home sick, and then you have other illnesses that are exacerbated by the fact that you have this extreme heat.' While there is no maximum temperature to force a shutdown, Ms. Littlewood said, educators can call the ministry and action is taken if a classroom falls to 17 C during a cold spell. Ms. Mullins also pointed to this discrepancy, saying that if a furnace wasn't working in her son's school in January, children would be sent home. 'It wouldn't be given a second thought,' she said. With a report from Laura Stone in Toronto
CBC
44 minutes ago
- CBC
5 types of presumptive cancer to be added to coverage list for P.E.I. firefighters
New Workers Compensation Board expands coverage to include more cancers women may face The Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. has added five more presumptive cancers for which Island firefighters are eligible to receive health coverage, bringing the total to 19. Under P.E.I.'s Workers Compensation Act, presumptive coverage means that it is presumed a primary cancer for a fire inspector or firefighter is related to their work unless proven otherwise, according to a news release from the WCB. Those eligible for coverage include inspectors, and paid or volunteer firefighters who are members of a department or brigade. Gerard McMahon, the district deputy chief of the Charlottetown Fire Department, said this initiative helps ease the mind of firefighters. "[It] gives you peace of mind that you're going to be covered if you need any extra expense for medical coverage or trips off the Island," he said. The five cancers added to the coverage list include: Cervical. Ovarian. Penile. Pancreatic. Thyroid. Increased coverage for women Firefighting is a dangerous job, and not always due to the physical threat of fire. Issues can arise long after someone has served their community. Firefighters are nine per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and 14 per cent more likely to die of cancer compared to the general public, according to Health Canada. Allison Wyatt, director of claims and compensation with the WCB, said the board looked at cancers affecting women when expanding its coverage. Image | Allison Wyatt - Firefighter Coverage Caption: Allison Wyatt, director of claims and compensation with the Workers Compensation board of P.E.I., says the board looked particularly at cancers that can affect women as the firefighting workforce diversifies. (Rick Gibbs/CBC) Open Image in New Tab "We particularly looked at enhanced coverage for female cancers as we look at a more diverse workforce within firefighting," Wyatt said, adding that the coverage extends beyond the firefighter. "You think about people who are experiencing illness of any kind and you think about the impact that has on their families, you think about the impact that has on their community, and so really this… legislation is about the support for both them, their community and their families." P.E.I. Workforce Minister Jenn Redmond said she hopes this expanded coverage will increase the number of firefighters on the Island. "To be able to ensure that we have supports in place should they need them is a really big benefit in removing that barrier to have them come and join forces in their communities," she said. "Sometimes we focus very much on the volunteer firefighter force as being male-dominated, which it would be, but we have a lot of female firefighters.... Understanding when they face cervical, ovarian cancers connected to their volunteerism, it's really important."
