B.C. ostrich farm loses court bid to prevent avian flu cull

OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected a bid by a British Columbia ostrich farm to prevent the culling of its flock that had been infected with avian flu.

The court has dismissed two applications by Universal Ostrich Farms over the cull of about 400 birds, which was sought by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

It says the “stamping out” policy of the agency, in which infected poultry flocks are killed, is reasonable, and that criteria to apply it had been met in the case of the farm in Edgewood, B.C.

The planned cull had drawn opposition from United States officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr.

The court ruling says that the killing of the birds will “doubtless be very difficult, both financially and emotionally” for the farmers.

But it says it’s not the role of the court to grant exemptions from governmental policy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.

The Canadian Press