Avian flu cull order for B.C. ostrich farm to be reviewed in court today – CBC

Apr 15, 2025

A Federal Court judge will begin hearing arguments Tuesday in the case of a B.C. ostrich farm which has been ordered to cull its entire flock over avian flu concerns.

Universal Ostrich is located on a rural road near Edgewood, in B.C.’s West Kootenay region, an approximately 175-kilometre drive east from Kelowna along a winding highway.

Its entire flock of about 400 birds was ordered culled in February by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after H5N1 avian flu was detected in December — but the farm managed to get its birds a stay of execution until the court could rule on the merits of the cull order.

The two-day hearing, which is set to be conducted virtually starting Tuesday, is the latest development in a case that has pitted public opinion in favour of the birds against officials who say that a cull would be in the best interests of public health.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/universal-ostrich-kill-cull-avian-flu-1.7509915