MLA Dallas Brodie has arrived at an Edgewood farm where more than 300 ostriches are under the threat of a cull she says appears to be imminent.
Universal Ostrich Farm has been a landing spot in recent weeks for politicians, like Brodie, from the Vancouver-Quilchena riding, who are concerned about government overreach. The ostriches have been at risk of being destroyed ever since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) declared an outbreak of avian influenza among the flock in December 2024. A cull order was issued, which the farm has fought tirelessly through the courts.
The latest court development saw the Supreme Court of Canada grant the farm an interim stay of the cull order on Sept. 24. Court documents show the CFIA had until Oct. 3 to respond to the application, and the ostriches were to remain in the agency's custody with no interference from Universal Ostrich.
Brodie, the interim leader of the fledgling OneBC party — a role she assumed after being ousted by the B.C. Conservative caucus in March over residential school comments — spoke to The Morning Star Friday morning, Oct. 3, 20 minutes after arriving at the farm, where she saw well over 100 cars parked, tents set up to form a camp of supporters, people milling about, and a thoroughly isolated flock of ostriches.
Beyond that, she described a police presence that was strikingly large.
"What struck me initially — this is the first time I've been here — the police presence is unbelievable," Brodie said. "You'd think there were weapons of war or something here ... there are cops everywhere."
A large blue fence and police tape have been put up to keep people away from the ostriches. A few of the birds can still be seen running around. A police officer, said Brodie, is guarding the top of the road where people drive in, and clusters of officers can be seen throughout the property.
Brodie said she was told by a person who has been filming at the farm for days that hunters have been hired "to set up and shoot" the birds. Asked if she thinks the cull could be taking place soon, she said she wasn't sure when it would be happening, "but it looks like it could be imminent."
The CFIA will have to wait at least until the Supreme Court of Canada decides whether to hear the case before carrying out the cull.
The CFIA has stood firm on its stamping-out policy, which it maintains is an internationally recognized leading method of dealing with avian flu outbreaks. It is common practice at infected poultry farms, though this is the first case of it being used on an ostrich flock by the CFIA.
Late last month, the agency answered a question that's long been sought by Universal Ostrich Farm and other defenders of the ostriches: why hasn't additional testing taken place following the initial detection of avian flu nine months ago, after the farm has said the birds have been healthy for months?
"There is no post-detection testing of exposed birds to exclude individual birds to exclude them from depopulation," the CFIA said, meaning there is no method of testing that could spare the birds from the cull.
Brodie isn't buying the CFIA's explanation, saying testing can and should be done to determine if the ostriches need to be culled.
"You test something because you're curious to find out whether there is a problem here, and the group here is demanding testing. They want to know the truth about the state of the health of these birds," she said.
Walking around the farm, Brodie said she saw signs of what felt to her to be a "massive government overreach."
"We're concerned because it seems to be targeting a small farming operation, and it seems like it's overkill for the situation that's here," she said.
She said she was told Prime Minister Mark Carney has been getting regular updates on the situation at the farm, and wonders why he won't step in.
"Someone could say, 'Why don't you just test the birds, Mr. Carney, and find out if there's a problem here?'" she said. "If there's no problem here, then leave the ostrich farm alone and let it be."
An ironic wrinkle to the situation relates to how the ostriches are used. The farm doesn't use the ostriches for meat; rather, its owners claim they are using them for scientific research to fight future outbreaks of diseases, such as avian flu, the disease that's prompted the cull order.
Brodie thinks the cull is illogical and hopes political leaders will take note.
"I would like to see Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Mark Carney and other leaders show some reasonableness here," she said. "If there were a serious outbreak here, I'm sure even (farm spokesperson) Katie Pasitney would say, okay, we will euthanize these birds. She'd probably participate in it."
Protesters at the farm were peaceful on Friday morning, according to Brodie.
Things haven't always been orderly at the farm — a suspicious fire was ignited in a wall of hay bales early morning, Sept. 24. The bales had been set up by the CFIA and RCMP, ostensibly to corral the ostriches.
The flock of ostriches was at one point 400 strong. The CFIA previously reported that 69 of the ostriches had died, and puts the current ostrich count at the farm between 300 and 330.
