Premiers Danielle Smith and Doug Ford have become the latest political forces to side with a growing international movement to halt the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) highly contested plan to cull 400 healthy ostriches at an Edgewood, British Columbia farm.

The prehistoric flock at Universal Ostrich Farms has remained healthy and asymptomatic from avian flu for over 180 days.

The birds are not raised for human consumption. Instead, their antibody-rich eggs are used in promising scientific and therapeutic research to combat viruses like COVID-19 — and potentially even avian flu itself, now that the flock has naturally recovered.

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Premiers Danielle Smith & Doug Ford join pushback against Canada’s food inspection agency’s plan to cull 400 healthy B.C. ostriches.
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Still, the CFIA has remained intent on slaughtering them, continuing to fight the farm in an ongoing legal battle to carry out the cull based on a rigid, outdated “stamping out” policy-driven decision that has become highly contested by grassroots freedom defenders and political powerhouses both within and across Canadian and U.S. borders.

“Maybe we have to think about different ways to do animal husbandry and animal safety,” Smith said in response to a question posed to the premiers during a press conference in Huntsville, Ontario on Tuesday.

“Why not try a different approach?” she added.

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A Politico journalist referenced U.S. billionaire grocer and philanthropist John Catsimatidis’ efforts to spearhead the rescue of the flock. Catsimatidis recently had a meeting with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of U.S. Medicare.

Both health officials have urged Canada to collaborate on saving the flock and furthering the scientific research it represents. Dr. Oz even offered to have the birds take refuge at his 900-acre Florida farm.

“I’ve asked my Minister of Agriculture to look into what we would do differently,” said Premier Smith before stating she remains open-minded and supportive of a partnership between the U.S. and British Columbia on finding another recourse.

“You can see that this case has really taken on a lot of public sentiment behind it and if we can find a better way than doing mass culls in any situation like this, I think it’s probably worth it to find a better way to do it,” she added.

Premier Ford echoed some of Smith’s remarks and praised Catsimatidis’ efforts directly.

“I’ve talked to John many times about these ostriches. I’m an animal lover, full disclosure, and I want to do everything I can to help him,” the Ontario premier said. “He’s a good man. He cares for animals. And he puts his money where his mouth is.”

Ford and Smith join a growing list of politicians speaking to the matter both provincially in Canada.

In May, B.C. Premier David Eby called the situation “devastating” for the farm and questioned the CFIA’s apparent lack of discretion.

“The [Provincial] Minister of Agriculture and I, and I think British Columbians, are a little bit frustrated with this federal agency,” Eby said. “We understand the importance of containing the bird flu but what’s hard to watch is a lack of discretion and ability to evaluate case-by-case scenarios.”

In a statement to Rebel News, Katie Pasitney, the farm’s spokesperson and daughter of co-owner Karen Espersen, welcomed the latest premiers’ support.

“This is a major step forward in the national conversation on animal welfare, biosecurity, and the future of farming policy in Canada,” she said.

“Both premiers highlighted the importance of animal husbandry, scientific innovation, and the need to reconsider the federal 'stamping out' policy, which threatens biodiversity, farmer autonomy, and natural immunity.”

Pasitney emphasized that this case “goes far beyond one farm” and strikes “at the heart of food security, public trust in science, and the treatment of all animals in our agricultural system.”

To join the peaceful pushback to save these ostriches, you can send a one-click email respectfully urging Liberal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and CFIA officials to back off their kill plan and restore the balance of health, farming and scientific freedom on the form below or by visiting SaveTheOstriches.com.