Figures show ostrich cull in Edgewood, B.C. cost taxpayers nearly $7 million
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The total cost of a controversial killing at an ostrich farm last year was nearly $7 million, federal authorities have revealed.
about 300 ostriches were killed at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., last December after a highly pathogenic avian flu detected Among the herd.
despite this it happened strong opposition by a group of supporters and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Urge To save the birds.
A request by Scott Anderson, the Conservative MP whose Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee riding includes Edgewood, revealed that the RCMP spent more than $3.8 million monitoring the operation.
Anderson requested data Further written responses from several federal institutions were posted on the House of Commons website earlier this week.
It revealed that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which ordered the culling of the birds and whose skilled shooters ultimately killed the birds, spent approximately $1.6 million on the operation.
Of that, more than $166,000 was spent on bird disposal and more than $150,000 was spent on cyber security and office security.
“(Cybersecurity and office security costs were incurred as a result of threats made to Canadian Food Inspection Agency personnel through IT accounts and directly to (CFIA) employees in multiple (CFIA) offices across the country,” the response reads.
According to the figures, the majority of the RCMP’s expenditure – more than $2 million – was due to personnel costs.
Anderson, in a social media post, criticized the costs and said the CFIA has offered little in defense of its actions other than “soft claims” that its stamping-out policy is good.
“At a cost of more than $20,000 per bird… CFIA disrupted the lives of farmers, the entire town of Edgewood and ultimately thousands of Canadians,” the Tory MP wrote.
The CFIA has said its stamping-out policy, which mandates that flocks carrying avian flu be culled, is needed The risk of virus spread and possible mutation, which would impact Canada’s food security.
Anderson also criticized the extent of RCMP deployment to the farm – which ultimately saw two protesters Arrests were made – and hundreds of officers were said to be involved.
Anderson argued, “So while protesters sang around campfires, the peace was protected by our millions of dollars’ worth of national police force, which should have been catching the real bad guys.”
legal costs
According to the Justice Department, total legal costs related to the murder were approximately $1.38 million.
“The services targeted here are litigation services as well as litigation support services,” the response reads.
“Justice Department lawyers, notaries and paralegals are salaried public servants and therefore are not charged any legal fees for their services.”
became the universal ostrich bird subject of international attention During 2025, as the form was filed Multiple court challenges To try to stop their killing after the detection of avian flu in December 2024.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the farm’s case, as previous courts had ruled to dismiss the CFIA’s decision. was procedurally fair.
Earlier this month, the Agricultural Review Tribunal $10,000 fine upheld The farm was handed down for failing to report symptoms of avian flu when they first appeared in the flock.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Friday it has culled the ostrich population at a farm in Edgewood, B.C. The culling was ordered after avian flu was detected in the flock last December and 70 birds died.
