Vernon, British Columbia—a region known for its tranquil rural landscapes and tight-knit community—finds itself at the center of a heated debate over government transparency, animal welfare, and the very nature of Canadian democracy. The recent cull of over 300 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farm has ignited public outrage, prompted parliamentary questions, and left many locals questioning the balance between public health, evidence-based decision-making, and compassion for those most affected.
The controversy began to boil over in late November 2025, when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered the slaughter of 314 ostriches at the Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood. The cull was officially triggered on December 31, moments after a laboratory test confirmed the presence of avian flu among the flock, according to reporting by Castanet. The outbreak itself had already claimed the lives of about 70 birds, but the CFIA’s response—an immediate and sweeping cull—sparked a wave of criticism that quickly spread beyond the farm’s fences.
Scott Anderson, Member of Parliament for Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee, has emerged as a vocal critic of the process. Anderson visited the farm twice prior to the cull and has since sponsored a petition demanding improved transparency from the CFIA and the federal government. "Hundreds of ostriches were culled by the CFIA in B.C. in November 2025, raising serious concerns about transparency, oversight and the humane treatment of animals. We’re calling on the Liberal Government of Canada to fully disclose how the cull was handled and ensure future situations prioritize animal welfare and public accountability," Anderson stated on his Facebook page, as reported by Castanet.
The petition, which had already garnered 2,657 signatures by November 25, calls on the government to provide comprehensive documentation about the culling process. Specifically, it requests details on the personnel involved, the equipment and protective gear used, and the interventions documented by each attending veterinarian. The petition also demands confirmation that the cull was carried out as humanely as possible, including an account of how the birds’ prolonged isolation was managed. Looking forward, Anderson and the petitioners insist that future responses to similar outbreaks must prioritize animal welfare and public transparency.
While Anderson’s efforts have resonated with many in the community, others have taken their concerns even further. In a letter published in the Vernon Morning Star on November 28, a local resident—Barry C. of Vernon—criticized both the CFIA and the BC Court of Appeal for what he described as a lack of compassion and evidence-based consideration in the decision to cull the ostriches. Barry C. applauded Anderson for raising the issue in Parliament and for taking the time to speak directly with the farmers. However, he lamented that, "There have been other MPs, MLAs and independent news media asking questions of our government, but to this point just falling on deaf ears."
The letter went on to question the very foundations of Canadian democracy, drawing uncomfortable parallels with totalitarian regimes. "My Ukrainian grandparents immigrated to Canada, as homesteaders, leaving behind the horrors of those definitions. Could we now reference these definitions to what is happening at the Ostrich Farm by the CFIA and RCMP? This is Canada not the former USSR!" Barry C. wrote, invoking terms like ‘totalitarianism’ and ‘autocrat’ from Webster’s dictionary to underline his fears of government overreach.
Barry C. also raised broader concerns about the judicial system and the role of evidence in major decisions. "Is not our judicial system based on evidence? Yet at the farm, we’ve had government overreach cloaked in secrecy and dozens of armed police. Shouldn’t this be a red flag for a free democratic country?" he asked. The presence of armed police during the cull, combined with what the letter-writer described as a lack of transparency and compassion, has led some to see the incident as symptomatic of deeper issues within Canadian governance.
The BC Court of Appeal’s role in upholding the cull order has not gone unnoticed. According to the Vernon Morning Star, the court’s decision was seen by critics as overly rigid and lacking in empathy for the farm owners. The letter accused the court of acting “like Artificial Intelligence would interpret CFIA documents and WHO policy,” implying that the decision was made mechanically, without due consideration of the human and ethical dimensions at play. The letter further decried the court’s conclusion—“Slaughter them all!”—as a failure to account for relevant circumstances or the farmers’ plight to save their property.
Underlying these local debates is a broader national conversation about the appropriate balance between disease control, animal welfare, and civil liberties. The CFIA, for its part, has pointed to the necessity of swift action in the face of avian flu outbreaks, which can devastate both farm livelihoods and public health if left unchecked. Yet, as Anderson and others have argued, transparency and accountability must not be sacrificed in the name of expediency. The petition’s call for clear guidelines and public disclosure reflects a widespread desire for government agencies to demonstrate both competence and compassion in their decision-making.
Political observers note that the ostrich cull has become a lightning rod for frustration with federal institutions, particularly among those who feel that rural voices are too often ignored in Ottawa. Some see the controversy as emblematic of a broader disconnect between policymakers and the communities most affected by their decisions. Others, however, caution against drawing sweeping conclusions from a single incident, emphasizing the complexity of managing animal disease outbreaks in a country as vast and diverse as Canada.
Meanwhile, the owners of Universal Ostrich Farm have exhausted their legal options, having taken their case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada—only to see it dismissed. Their loss has become a rallying point for advocates of greater transparency and humane treatment in agricultural policy, and the debate shows no signs of abating.
As the dust settles in Edgewood and the ostrich farm stands empty, the questions raised by this episode linger in the minds of many British Columbians. Was the cull truly necessary? Were all alternatives considered? And most importantly, will future government actions reflect the lessons learned from this painful chapter? For now, the community waits—and watches—hoping that their voices will not, once again, fall on deaf ears.