On a cold, rainy night in early November 2025, the usually quiet community of Edgewood, British Columbia, was pierced by the sound of gunfire. The source: Universal Ostrich Farms, where the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) moved forward with a controversial cull of hundreds of ostriches. The operation, which began at around 6 p.m. on November 6, saw professional marksmen, under the direction of the CFIA, shoot the birds inside a large hay-bale pen constructed for the purpose. The event, which followed months of legal wrangling, public protest, and a flurry of questions about animal welfare and government transparency, has sparked a heated debate across Canada and beyond.
The roots of this dramatic episode stretch back to December 2024, when ostriches at the farm began dying mysteriously. Over the following weeks, sixty-nine birds perished. Yet, according to The Canadian Press, farm owners Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski did not report the deaths to authorities as required by law. It was only after the CFIA received an anonymous tip on December 28 that the agency intervened, imposing strict quarantine measures. Just three days later, on December 31, tests confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus in two dead ostriches. Less than an hour after receiving the results, the CFIA ordered a full cull of the flock.
The H5N1 avian flu virus is no ordinary threat. Since late 2021, scientists have tracked its relentless spread around the globe, and its persistence has defied expectations. Normally, outbreaks are stamped out quickly—infected birds are killed, and the virus retreats into nature. But this time, it’s been different. As infectious disease veterinarian Scott Weese of the Ontario Veterinary College explained to The Canadian Press, "The scope of the avian pandemic and its persistence over multiple years is really surprising and not something seen before this virus."
British Columbia has been hit especially hard. Since 2022, more than 9.6 million birds have been culled or have died from illness in 266 outbreaks across the province, according to the CFIA. By November 2025, 28 premises remained listed as infected, most of them commercial poultry farms in the Fraser Valley—an area directly on the migration path of wild birds. In response, the province’s chief veterinary officer had already issued an order in mid-September to move all poultry flocks indoors, aiming to reduce the risk of infection. The poultry industry itself ramped up to its highest "red" biosecurity level, reflecting the gravity of the ongoing threat.
Against this backdrop, the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms fought desperately to avoid the cull. They argued that their birds had developed "herd immunity" and could be valuable for scientific research. They proposed a risk management plan involving isolation, testing, and monitoring, but said the CFIA dismissed their suggestions. "We were met with bullets instead of dialogue," the owners stated after the cull, as reported by The Canadian Press. Their campaign drew support from animal welfare advocates and even from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called on the CFIA to reconsider. But their legal hopes were dashed when, on the very day of the cull, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear their case.
The cull itself was as grim as it was controversial. Katie Pasitney, Espersen’s daughter, described the shooting as inhumane and called the CFIA’s stamping-out policy "broken." The agency, for its part, said it had consulted with experts experienced in managing disease among ostriches and determined that using professional marksmen was "the most appropriate and humane option." Afterward, all ostrich remains were disposed of via deep burial in a British Columbia landfill, and the farm was given disinfection requirements. The CFIA, however, declined to provide further details about the operation, citing policy.
This lack of transparency has fueled ongoing criticism. Infectious disease experts like Weese and animal law specialists such as Vancouver-based lawyer Victoria Shroff have both called for greater clarity on the CFIA’s methods. "Was there any other possibility here? Or was it just ultimately too risky for human health and biosecurity?" Shroff asked in an interview with The Canadian Press. She acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting the "hierarchy of interests" at play—public health, food safety, economic stability, and, at the bottom, animal welfare. "I think really we’re talking about looking at trying to find a balance here in this hierarchy of interests," she said.
For the CFIA, the stakes were high. The agency’s stamping-out policy is designed to protect both animal and human health, as well as to safeguard Canada’s $6.8-billion domestic poultry industry and $1.75 billion in exports. Allowing the virus to linger or spread could have devastating consequences, not just for local farmers but for the entire sector and international trade relationships. As Weese put it, "You can’t drag things out because every day that a bird’s out there being exposed to other birds and people, that’s a transmission risk." He also noted that while the farmers’ desire for more testing was understandable, it simply wasn’t feasible under the circumstances: the farm lacked the facilities to properly isolate, test, and monitor each bird, and keeping large ostriches indoors for swabbing posed significant risks to both animals and people.
Still, Weese and others believe the CFIA could do more to explain its decisions and the potential for exemptions to culling in future outbreaks. "The gunfire thing certainly wasn’t appealing, and it would be nice for (the CFIA) to be able to say, ‘Here are all the things we looked at, we ruled them out, based on these experts,’ because I assume that’s what happened," Weese told The Canadian Press. He added that the ostrich farm saga has raised "valid" questions about the agency’s approach and the need for lessons to be learned—especially in an era of increasing public mistrust and misinformation.
For those in the poultry industry, culls are both emotionally and financially devastating. Shawn Hall, director of the B.C. Poultry Industry Emergency Operations Centre, said, "No farmer wants to see their animals suffer. So we understand that culling the flock is the responsible action to take for animal welfare, unfortunately, and also a measure that helps prevent the potential spread to other farms." The emphasis, he noted, is on speed: rapid response is crucial to reduce the risk of the virus spreading to other farms or wild birds, and to protect the health of farm workers.
As the dust settles at Universal Ostrich Farms, the debate over how best to balance animal welfare, public health, and economic interests continues. The events in Edgewood have exposed the difficult choices and competing priorities at the heart of modern disease management—and have left many calling for a new level of openness and dialogue as Canada faces an uncertain future with avian flu.
