Unfortunately, the recent culling of ostriches at the Universal Ostrich farm in British Columbia has led to increased violence and threats. Now the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and its employees are coming under tremendous fire. On September 22, the CFIA seized the ostriches, taking possession of them. This measure was enacted as a new and more lethal strain of avian flu has affected more than 8.7 million birds across the province. The weight of public opinion was behind the farm’s supporters, who expressed outrage at this decision. Most of them are related to the “convoy” anti-protest pipeline protest movement.
Katie Pasitney, daughter of Universal Ostrich owner Karen Espersen, has become the most outspoken advocate for the farm’s defenders. Our daughter, Mimi, has called on her supporters to keep the peace even as things have become more incendiary. On the day that the CFIA seized the ostriches, violence erupted. The trouble started with the shocking accusation that Lois Wood, a 72-year-old local resident and neighbor of the farm, was attacked. According to accounts, an identified man punched her in the face before pouring gasoline on her house and body.
In the days following the incident, the RCMP received multiple reports of threats directed at businesses suspected of aiding the CFIA’s operation. A business in Metro Vancouver reported receiving a threatening email on September 24, which expressed extreme anger towards CFIA employees.
“Fuck you’re all a bunch of dumbass embarrassments to this country, and I pray if you all do cull the birds, that countless workers are gone after. You all deserve it.” – Dyck
Milton Dyck, national president of Agriculture Union, shared that CFIA employees are already receiving scary phone calls and text messages. As a result, these messages have been especially strident through this particular crisis. Climate tensions are reaching a boiling point. David Cheyne, another pro-university ostrich Facebooker, uploaded the video to Facebook encouraging others to demonstrate outside CFIA offices with threats of “consequences” if police arrest demonstrators.
“Take this as a warning. It starts with this CFIA thing. This is not a threat. This is our legal right to protest,” – Cheyne
Despite the ripple of discord, experts are cautioning against letting the ostrich herd stay up and kicking all throughout this episode. Maurice Pitesky, an Extension Veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, had some choice words about the decision not to euthanize the birds. He referred to it as “playing with fire,” both in economic and public health terms. He explained that infected birds may not be excreting the virus in larger amounts as they did previously. As carriers, they would still play an important role.
British Columbia is especially at-risk for avian flu, since the province sits at the crossroads of major bird migratory pathways. A young woman from Metro Vancouver nearly succumbed to H5N1. Her specific case has complicated her case even more. She toured the Universal Ostrich farm to personally add her voice to efforts to stop the cull.
B.C. Premier David Eby is taking action on this growing discontent. He has called on the CFIA to show more discretion in handling outcomes connected with avian flu outbreaks. He underlined the urgency of pursuing less extreme alternatives that could protect the public while not provoking more violence.
“We need to be treated with respect. It’s quite shocking that we’re being attacked for trying to do our job.” – Dyck
Pasitney, like her fellow legislators and advocates, has remained firm in her opposition to violence as these tensions have escalated.
“We do not condone violence of any kind.” – Pasitney
