Ostrich farm receives temporary stay, seeks Supreme Court hearing

The birds have been healthy and asymptomatic for 253 days.

Drea Humphrey
  |   September 24, 2025   |   News   |   5 Comments

An interim Supreme Court stay saved 400 Edgewood, B.C. ostriches from a federal culling, but only for a few days. Rebel News documented the operation, noting "pillbox" hay bales likely used for corralling animals before shooting. Police are investigating a fire that occurred on these hay bales.

The farm considers each day a miracle, and the interim order from the Supreme Court is a significant one, as the ostriches were at risk of being culled today. While the order provides a temporary reprieve, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) still has jurisdiction over half the farm, where the animals reside. 

The CFIA, initially without protective gear, now claims a "mutant version" of avian flu, despite the birds being healthy and asymptomatic for 253 days, and refusing retesting.

The farmers are concerned because the CFIA has refused to retest healthy birds and has threatened jail time and fines for those who do. The urgency of the CFIA's actions, despite international attention and offers for the ostriches, suggests they are eager to proceed with the culling.

For the record, these ostriches are not for human consumption; their eggs are used for therapeutic research to extract antibodies for fighting viruses. This research, especially now that the birds have avian flu, makes them even more valuable. 

MLAs Tara Armstrong and Jordan Keeley, B.C. Opposition leader John Rustad, and federal Conservatives in the province oppose the cull. Even the Trump administration has tried to save these birds.

The farm's crowdfunded lawyer, Omar Sheikh, is seeking a "leave" to the cull. If successful, they would have their case heard by the Supreme Court of Canada. 

The farmers believe they have a constitutional right to be heard, given the international attention and the implications for farming, property, and food rights in Canada. 

The CFIA's policy is based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines but they are superseding the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) guidelines. 

Rebel News has been covering this story since December, advocating for the ostriches at SaveTheOstriches.com. 

As owner Karen Espersen says, "the world is watching," and this case highlights core issues plaguing Canada’s administrative state.

Help Rebel News continue its reporting on the Ostrich massacre!

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For months, our team has been on the ground at Universal Ostrich Farms, documenting every step of this tragedy — from the first ominous signs of federal overreach to the night nearly a thousand shots rang out, leaving a field of hundreds of dead ostriches and a family shattered.

Our journalists confronted the RCMP, pressed CFIA officials, launched drones to reveal the truth, and refused to be intimidated or silenced.

But holding powerful institutions to account takes resources: travel, security, legal access, and the manpower of an around-the-clock reporting team.

If you believe in independent journalism that asks the tough questions the establishment won’t touch, please chip in to help us keep digging.

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Drea Humphrey

B.C. Bureau Chief

Based in British Columbia, Drea Humphrey reports on Western Canada for Rebel News. Drea’s reporting is not afraid to challenge political correctness, or ask the tough questions that mainstream media tends to avoid.

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COMMENTS

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  • Bill Hadgkiss
    commented 2025-09-26 18:50:49 -0400
    OSTRISH
  • Dalyce McCue
    commented 2025-09-26 14:19:17 -0400
    Keep up the good work Drea! I try to share to as many as possible.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-09-25 19:57:41 -0400
    COVID gave the government of Canada the notion that rules and rights don’t matter. They can do whatever they want and too bad if they violate our rights. And if the ostriches are killed, what about our livestock, research animals, and pets? The feds already want hunting rifles confiscated and fossil fuel vehicles banned. Will single dwelling homes be next? What about the censorship bill the Liberals keep pushing? Families can’t be raised well in dog-crate houses maid by Brookfield.
  • Creth Waļlace
    commented 2025-09-25 09:33:12 -0400
    Thanks Drea Humphrey and Rebel News for all the hard work your doing on the coverage of the ostrich farm! The farmers are significant! They are the life line of Canada!
  • Stephen Eisenberg
    commented 2025-09-25 05:28:51 -0400
    By what right does the government agency have to disable the farm’s security cameras? Shouldn’t the government’s interest lie in finding out how these birds survived or have immunity to the avian flu? Wouldn’t that be the wise and prudent path to follow? Wait, what am I saying! It’s a Canadian government agency, flexing its muscle, to show everyone who is the real boss. It’s just like the Trudeau, and now the Carney, joke of a government.