Supreme Court of Canada to decide on Nov. 6 whether to hear case of B.C. ostriches | CBC News

Supreme Court of Canada to Decide on B.C. Ostrich Case

The Supreme Court of Canada is scheduled to announce next week whether it will hear a final appeal concerning the order to cull a flock of ostriches at a British Columbia farm.

Details of the Appeal

The list of leave applications to be ruled on next Thursday includes the challenge by Universal Ostrich Farms against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's order, dated December 31, 2024, to cull the flock following an outbreak of avian flu.

If the court refuses to hear the case and lifts the stay on the cull, the farm will have no legal protection against the killing of hundreds of birds. Conversely, if the appeal is allowed, a final decision about the flock's fate will follow a full hearing.

Farm's Response

"My stomach sank a little bit," said Katie Pasitney, the farm’s spokesperson and daughter of one of the owners, in a Facebook post.

"I walk in faith as my feet hit the ground each day. This story has already been written. The ending has been decided, we just need to believe."

"The world needs to pray for us," she added.

Legal Experts' View

Legal analysts consider it unlikely the Supreme Court will take the case. Both the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal previously ruled in favor of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Emmett Macfarlane, a political science professor at the University of Waterloo, commented last month that the chances of the Supreme Court hearing the appeal are "very low."

Author's summary: The Supreme Court will soon decide on hearing the urgent appeal to halt the ostrich cull in B.C., with experts doubting the court will intervene.

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CBC CBC — 2025-11-01

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