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Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
New York billionaire prepared to fund B.C. ostrich farm's legal battle against forced cull
A New York billionaire is intent on saving hundreds of B.C. ostriches from being slaughtered based on an order from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), believing they are crucial to medical research into immunity and treatment of viruses. Red Apple Group founder, John Catsimatidis, told the Daily Mail earlier this month he is 'outraged' at what is happening and that he is prepared to fund Universal Ostrich Farm's ongoing legal battle. Last December, the CFIA ordered the farm's flock of 400 birds be culled. It also fined the farm's owners after 69 birds died on the farm from avian flu in December and January. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The farm took its dispute with government officials to the Federal Court last spring. The court upheld the CFIA's cull order , deeming it necessary in the ongoing battle against avian flu. The farm then appealed to the Federal of Appeal, which in July reserved its decision until a later date. However, it issued a stay of the cull while it reviews the lower court's decision. The farm says it will take its fight to the Supreme Court of Canada if necessary. The farm had also asked for 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 the FCA judge denied both requests without explanation. Meanwhile, it set up a website aimed at rallying support, while also asking for donations to its legal fund. Supporters surrounded the farm as a human shield at one point, following the lower court decision. Despite these efforts, however, euthanizing infected flocks is widely recognized as the best defence against the spread of avian flu. The nine-foot tall birds, which are native to Africa, became a passion project for Catsimatidis after he heard about Katie Pasitney, the daughter of the farm's owners and her campaign to save the animals. Catsimatidis recruited Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of U.S. Medicare and Medicaid, as well as Robert Kennedy Jr., U.S. health secretary, to help with his mission. The battle over the birds began in mid-December when 69 ostriches are believed to have died from the H5N1 virus, or bird flu. Pasitney insists someone made an anonymous call to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency claiming that the birds had avian flu. After the deaths, CFIA officials visited the farm and tested two dead birds. After the results came back positive for the H5N1, the farm was put under quarantine. Then the CFIA ordered a cull of the entire herd, part of its efforts to 'stamp out' the disease, which has led to more than eight million birds being infected in B.C. Pasitney argues more of the birds should be tested before moving ahead with an outright cull. She says there have been no more deaths and says the farm continues to do business. 'When we asked them (CFIA) to test our healthy animals they denied us that right. We have been fighting with them for seven months,' she said. Pasitney is thankful for Catsimatidis's efforts. 'We developed a relationship over saving animals,' she said. 'If I didn't have this strength and support and his voice I don't know if we would still be here.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Hindustan Times
30-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
A Canadian Ostrich Culling Sparks an International Storm
Edgewood, British Columbia is normally a sleepy settlement of retirees. Lately, it's become the front line in a battle between the Canadian government and a coalition of animal rights activists, Christian evangelists and populists who have recruited U.S. health officials Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mehmet Oz to their cause. A Canadian Ostrich Culling Sparks an International Storm It's all because of Universal Ostrich Farm, located on the edge of this remote 235-person community northeast of Vancouver. The Canadian government is trying to euthanize roughly 400 ostriches that are penned here, after 69 of the flightless birds died in December and January and two tested positive for a variant of H5N1 avian flu virus. The owners of the flock and a group of activists are rallying to stop the cull. 'It is government overreach at its worst, because we have rights as landowners,' said Katie Pasitney, whose mother, Karen Espersen, is co-owner of the farm. The animals have recovered from the outbreak and have developed herd immunity, she said. 'These animals, we own them. The government doesn't.' Under Canada's policy for dealing with avian flu outbreaks, officials will kill any commercial flock whose members have been exposed. Canada's food-inspection agency has said two of the ostriches tested positive for bird flu. It said even if the rest of the herd doesn't show symptoms, the virus may be dormant and could mutate. Killing the entire herd is the best way to ensure it doesn't spread. The world has been lucky that the virus hasn't spread widely to humans, said Dr. Gregorio Torres, head of the science department of the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health. 'We should not leave this virus circulating,' he said. Although animal-to-human spread is rare, 103 people, mostly Americans, have caught the virus since 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Canadian Ostrich Culling Sparks an International Storm The outbreak hit Universal Ostrich Farm in December, when some of the birds started showing symptoms, including bright green feces, fever and 'goopy eyes,' said Pasitney. Universal Ostrich Farm wants the government to retest the surviving animals and study whether they have developed antibodies that could be used to create treatments and vaccines. A cull would wipe out the farm's 35-year-old business, and the owners have gone to court to stop the order. They were granted a temporary stay and are awaiting a ruling from Canada's federal court in Ottawa. Pasitney and her mother have tried to draw attention to the birds. In one social-media video, Espersen stands in the pen with the 9-foot-tall animals as they peck at her sweater, and calls for supporters to come to the farm to protect the birds. 'If we don't stand for this, and we don't pull together and we don't save all of these beautiful, happy, healthy animals, then what kind of world have we become?' she said. In February, Pasitney contacted John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of New York's WABC radio station. He has regularly put Pasitney on air to lobby for the animals and sought help from friends like Kennedy, the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services, and Oz, Administrator for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. 'These are ancient animals, beautiful animals,' said Catsimatidis. He said he's particularly offended by Canada's refusal to allow new tests and decries laws that punish with jail times and fines farmers who conduct their own tests on infected animals. 'Where are we, Russia?' Kennedy recently wrote to Canada's minister of agriculture, offering U.S. aid in studying the surviving animals. In the letter, a copy of which was posted on X, Kennedy wrote that studying the flock could lead to new treatments or vaccines. Oz has offered to put the birds on his 870-acre ranch in Florida. He said it's worth studying how the surviving ostriches have lived for more than six months without showing further symptoms. 'We have an opportunity to learn that could benefit all of us,' he said. Mehmet Oz has offered to put the birds on his 870-acre ranch in Florida. The Canadian government has so far rejected those entreaties. 'We don't take our public health advice from RFK and Dr. Oz,' said David Eby, the leader of British Columbia's provincial government. Toronto-based activist Jim Kerr said he was so moved by the situation that he flew to Edmonton, Alberta and drove nine hours to the farm in a minivan. He arrived at midnight and fell asleep to the low-pitched boom of the ostriches' calls, which he mistook for the bass of a dance party. Since then, he has been living on the farm. The owners have even named an ostrich 'Jim,' joining others with names like Connor, Ethan, Hayden, Speckles and Spirit. Supporters camping on the farm have set up patrols to watch for government agents, and are prepared to take nonviolent measures to make things as difficult as possible if the cull goes ahead, said Kerr. 'We just want to save their farm,' said Kerr, who called the government's cull order an 'Orwellian mandate.' The farm's owners want the government to retest the surviving animals and study whether they have developed antibodies that could be used to create treatments and vaccines. The government is dealing with an emotional situation that it doesn't fully understand, said Umar Sheikh, the lawyer representing Universal Ostrich Farm. 'I do think that the reaction that you're going to see of killing these healthy animals and burying them in a grave ditch is not going to be a pretty sight for anybody.' Espersen and the co-owner, David Bilinsky, are ready to pen themselves in with the ostriches to ensure they will be there if officials arrive to kill the animals. Their supporters plan to film and stream the entire process. 'The government needs to know: the world is watching,' said Pasitney. Write to Vipal Monga at
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.
Metropolis Japan
27-05-2025
- Health
- Metropolis Japan
Othello Performance in Japan
From the small town B.C. farmer to United States' Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, the flock of those calling for a stop to the ordered killing of nearly 400 ostriches are growing daily. Universal Ostrich, a farm in Edgewood, B.C., has been making headlines since January 2025 when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered the cull of the entire flock of birds. The order is part of the CFIA's stamping out policy when an avian influenza outbreak is declared at a farm. "Canada's response has aimed to protect human and animal health and minimize impacts on the $6.8 billion domestic poultry industry and Canada's economy," the agency told The Morning Star May 27. "This supports Canadian families and poultry farmers whose livelihoods depend on maintaining international market access." The CFIA declared an H5N1 outbreak at Universal Ostrich on Dec. 31, 2024 and issued the cull order on Jan. 10, 2025. The farm has been fighting the order since, challenging the decision in federal court in April, which was turned down May 13. Justice Richard Zinn upheld CFIA's decision, but the farm is again back in the courts and filed an appeal May 26. "Which is fantastic but we are not safe," said Katie Pasitney, whose mom Karen Esperson and partner Dave Bilinski co-own Universal Ostrich. Pasitney is the spokesperson for the farm and explains that since the "outbreak," a total of 69 ostriches died in the initial weeks but the flock has since developed herd immunity. Universal Ostrich wants to work with the CFIA to use the antibodies the ostriches have developed to protect others. "It's all about saving our farmers, saving our food," said Pasitney. "Let's revamp these policies, let's bring science forward." The farm has been flooded with support from hundreds of other farmers, animal activists and Indigenous peoples who have camped out at the farm in recent days and weeks. Many politicians, both locally, provincially and in the U.S., are showing support, even Dr. Mehmet Oz. Oz is the latest U.S. health official seeking a stop to the killing. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. had a call with CFIA president Paul MacKinnon on May 22, along with Martin Makary, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner. The CFIA stands by its policies, citing a human case of H5N1 earlier this year and a number of human case in the U.S., including a fatality. "All highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses, particularly H5 and H7 viruses, have the potential to infect mammals, including humans. Allowing a domestic poultry flock known to be exposed to HPAI to remain alive allows a potential source of the virus to persist. It would increase the possibility of reassortment or mutation, particularly with birds raised in open pasture where there is ongoing exposure to wildlife." The Regional District of Central Kootenay also made a decision to not accept the ostriches at its landfills, pending testing of the birds. But the CFIA says it "has a duty to protect Canadians from the serious potential risks that avian influenza presents to our people and our economy." While compensation of up to $3,000 per ostrich could be awarded to Universal Ostrich, the CFIA says if an owner refuses to meet the depopulation requirements, the agency could move forward with depopulation itself, or use a third-party contractor. "This could mean withholding part or all compensation for the depopulation from the owners," CFIA said. "Depopulation can be a distressing outcome for an animal owner. When a depopulation is necessary, the CFIA provides an opportunity for all poultry farmers to develop the most appropriate plan based for their flock and facilities. CFIA veterinarians and inspectors work with poultry farmers to see that depopulation is completed humanely using internationally accepted methods. "We also provide guidance to producers throughout the process of depopulation, disposal, and cleaning and disinfection, so they can resume their operations as quickly as possible," said the agency.
