Union president says CFIA workers facing death threats over ostrich cull
Workers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have received death threats online according to Agriculture Union president Milton Dyck, as a cull order against 400 ostriches in British Columbia looms.
Workers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) tasked with culling ostriches at a British Columbia farm are facing death threats, says Agriculture Union president Milton Dyck.
“Nobody likes to see their flocks culled, and we certainly don't take any pleasure in doing it,” Dyck told CBC News in an interview. “It is our jobs, it's our mandate for the safety of Canadians to ensure that we carry out our job.”
The birds are facing a cull order from the CFIA over an avian flu outbreak. The agency won a court case to proceed with the cull earlier this month, despite just two of 400 birds testing positive for the virus months ago. The ostriches are also being used for research into the virus in partnership with a Japanese university.
The farm believes the ostriches have developed natural immunity to the avian flu and have spoken out against the decision. Supporters have been rallying at the Edgewood, B.C. farm, where Rebel News reporter Drea Humphrey was embedded ahead of the potential cull.
Agriculture Union president Dyck told CBC an agency vehicle was hit with a rock, but was not certain it was directly related to the ongoing situation. Dyck also told the state broadcaster death threats were made online against CFIA workers.
“Some people will be passionate about what their motives are for keeping the ostriches — whether they love ostriches, whether it's something that they feel personally about disease,” he told the outlet.
“But we have to look at it as we are doing a service to Canadians because we're protecting the health and safety of Canadians. We're protecting the value of the food chain going forward.”
The union said it supported the right to peaceful protest but called for its workers to be allowed to carry out their duties.
Despite pressure, the CFIA says the cull will proceed. However, no date has been provided.
Rebel News continues to monitor developments at Universal Ostrich Farms.
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COMMENTS
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Fran g commented 2025-06-01 18:49:59 -0400Another Liberal deflection -
Wayne Currie commented 2025-05-28 18:53:09 -0400Any visual evidence that the vehicle was “hit by a rock”? Was it perhaps sprung up from the vehicle’s tire? BTW, how does one make a death threat online without it being traced? A VPN perhaps?
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Bruce Atchison commented 2025-05-27 19:54:30 -0400As usual, a few stupids ruin it for all of us. Don’t threaten CFIA staff. Be polite but firm. And contact your MP about this insanity. Turn your outrage into action by exposing this insanity and CFIA’s irrational fixation on killing these birds. From having worked in the federal government for 14 years, I know what brown-nosers the employees are. Find who’s in charge and state the case for sanity to them. They’re the ones pushing this insane fixation on the subordinates.
