UPDATED...CSN PRESS ROOM: In Court Today--The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Ostrich CULL ORDER under Review
Zoom Link to court proceedings; up to date commentary; list of past press releases/expert commentary AND NOW... MEDIA REPORTS ON THE APPEAL
UPDATE as of July 17 11 am ET - ORIGINAL POST follows (Apologies: Some formatting features such as hyperlinking and indentation of quotations are currently not functioning correctly.)
We at Canadian Shareable News are noting that this story is now receiving more coverage in “establishment” media than was previously the case. We are pleased to link to recent reports by Canadian Press, CBC, local Star chain papers and others below.
We do note two aspects of the CFIA vs United Ostrich Farm appeal hearing that were NOT reported on by most journalists and present them below as well. Finally, we note a lack of contextualization in much of the reporting coming from government-funded and corporate-backed media. Events seem to be presented as “one-off” events, usually without references to larger trends, patterns or a larger, background context. We link readers to recent online posts provided by an independent citizen journalist/policy analyst located in Alberta, Connie Shields.
“Journalistic contents should further be contextualized because public discourse benefits from news media that do not merely report but place information in a larger societal or political context. Besides providing facts, news media should explain and contextualize events”
(See ‘The Critical Balance Reporting TEST - Academic Foundation’ posted on January 21, 2025 under the PRESS ROOM tab above.)
“Mainstream/Establishment” Media Coverage
As written by Okanagan journalist Jennifer Smith: “The fate of BC Ostriches lies in Appeal Judges’ Hands.” (See the July 15 write-up here: https://www.barrierestarjournal.com/news/fate-of-bc-ostriches-lies-in-ottawa-appeal-judges-hands-8133881.) This article was picked up in Rossland and North Thompson.
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As well, an article by Sarah Ritchie of the Canadian Press was published by CTV and in the Lethbridge Herald News and the Winnipeg Free Press among others. https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/national-news/2025/07/15/federal-court-of-appeal-hears-case-of-b-c-ostrich-farm-where-avian-flu-discovered/.
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City News picked up the CP Press article and added a number of links to previous articles to provide readers with more background. https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/07/15/federal-court-of-appeal-to-hear-case-of-b-c-ostrich-farm/
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Yahoo News Canada ran a brief segment of a Canadian Press recording of the farm’s press conference also held on July 15, 2025 https://ca.news.yahoo.com/newsroom-ready-universal-ostrich-farms-234500675.html
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CBC Journalist Akshay Kulkami referenced a segment of the farm’s argumentation:
“Universal Ostrich's lawyer, Umar Sheikh, said the CFIA was being rigid in its application of the stamping-out policy, and the farm's case demonstrated why inflexible policy could produce unreasonable results.
He said that the cull was ordered less than an hour after only two birds — out of a confirmed 69 deaths — were confirmed to have contracted avian flu, and hundreds of birds showed no sign of infection months later.
"We would ask questions such as why 100 per cent destruction needs to occur based on 0.5 per cent confirmed infection?" he asked.
Aileen Jones, the CFIA's lawyer, told the court that the reason why only two mortalities were tested before the cull was that the remaining ostriches had already been scavenged on or were in an advanced stage of decomposition.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/universal-ostrich-appeal-federal-court-edgewood-1.7584103
Possibly new to this file, Kulkami might not have had access to previous court records showing that the CFIA’s lawyer left out crucial, previously reported information.
Independent Coverage Showing More Contextualization, i.e. “Connecting Dots”
In her coverage of the case, independent Alberta citizen journalist and policy analyst, Connie Shields noted:
“In today’s hearing, Ms. Jones stated on record that: “this policy requires testing dead birds up to 10. The evidence in the record is that in this case, only two birds were tested…The reasons why only two mortalities were tested… [was] because the remaining mortalities had been scavenged on by wild animals or were in later stages of decomposition.” She cites a reference to CFIA expert witness Cathy Furness.
But here’s what she didn’t mention:
CFIA was contacted immediately upon the deaths of 2 birds but they waited over 16 hours to attend for testing… thats right, the 2 carcasses that were PCR tested had lain in the field 16-24 hours before CFIA arrived to test…they too would have been decomposing AND scavenged which it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out would render them contaminated.
Several ostriches died AFTER those two carcasses were tested, but CFIA did not test any of them.
CFIA agents were present on-site and personally witnessed at least one hen die.
No samples were taken from that freshly deceased bird , DESPITE every opportunity to do so.
This isn’t a technical oversight. This is a false narrative on the public record … and it contradicts both the facts and the stated goals of CFIA to assess disease risk.”
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Only the report by Connie Shields addresses the argument brought forth by the farm’s lawyer regarding mishandling of the case by a previous lawyer engaged by the farm. She writes:
“In a powerful closing statement, UOF counsel raised one of the most serious concerns yet: that previous legal counsel had a conflict of interest and failed to defend the case properly. The court was asked to consider this breakdown in representation as part of its duty to prevent injustice.”
Here is the full post:
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In nearly 20 posts, Shields provides a thorough analysis of the regulatory context in which the case of the United Ostrich Farm is occurring. This includes the World Health Organization’s so-called and vaguely defined “One Health” policy. Writing on April 9, 2025, Shields described “One Health” as follows:
“Enter One Health, a global framework promoted by the UN, WHO, WEF, and partners like the Rockefeller and Gates Foundations. On the surface, it sounds noble: integrate human, animal, and environmental health. But dig deeper, and you'll see it's a philosophical justification for global control.
Through One Health, governments and global institutions claim the right to:
Lock down farms and food producers
Restrict meat consumption
Ban animal agriculture
Mass cull livestock
Implement surveillance under the guise of "preventing pandemics"
The One Health agenda is the why behind it all. Carney's carbon and finance system is the how. Now if we could wrap our heads around the how these psychopaths function…
The Technocratic Trap
This isn’t about public health or climate protection. It’s about laying the foundation for:
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
Carbon-based social credit systems
Digital ID mandates
Geo-fencing and movement restrictions
Green rationing under AI-driven policy enforcement
And the sickest part? We're paying for it and they make billions
We must stop pretending this is about the common good. It’s a hostile takeover under the banner of public service. If you care about health, freedom, food, or your kids' future, it’s time to stand up.
President Trump has pledged to get the U.S. out of the UN. Two critical bills are now in Congress to do just that. Canadians and freedom-lovers everywhere should support this move. It's time to pull the plug on the globalist control grid.”
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On February 25, 2025 Shields raised the apparent conflict of interest pointing at purchase of avian influenza vaccines by the Government of Canada, through the Public Health Agency of Canada. Research involving the antibodies derived from the farm’s ostrich eggs points at a non-vaccine alternatives for protecting both wild and domestic birds (and thereby also humans) from what has been referred to as “highly pathogenic avian influenza” (HPIA). Carrying out the cull order would prevent the farm from further development on this alternative.
Shields writes both as a journalist, an analyst and an activist, including suggestions for letters citizens can write to politicians, courts, government officials, etc. On May 27, 2025 Shields pointed out the irony that while CFIA was preventing the farm from testing the antibodies (and the possible illness status) of the ostriches, the Canadian government was regularly testing the first and only human so far to appear to have been infected with and recovered from avian influenza.
“Now the government wants to study her immune system. They’re testing for antibodies, analyzing her blood, tracking every biomarker like she’s a rare lab sample — because apparently natural immunity is worth investigating… in a child.
At least they are putting the topic of natural immunity back on the table…”
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On July 8, Shields addressed a new development from Canada’s (current) largest trading partner. The CFIA had insisted that the reason it is striving for an HPAI-free status for Canada (via its “stamping out” policy) is related to international trade regulations. Shields pointed out that recent legislation in the USA no longer supports mass culls, which will weaken the CFIA’s “trade status” argument going forward.
“The U.S. has rejected mass surveillance and destruction in agriculture. Why, then, is CFIA still claiming we must maintain trade status by sacrificing our livestock?
If the U.S. is no longer demanding scorched-earth culling and biosecurity hysteria, Canada’s actions are not only outdated—they're unjustified.”
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Another aspect not addressed by most journalists writing about the July 15 appeal hearing refers to the importance of Canada’s Bill of Rights as a basis on which to seek court rulings. While Canadians appear more familiar with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the ‘reasonable limits’ section of that document can be used as a loophole by governments planning to infringe upon citizen rights.
“1. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits preS.C.R.ibed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”
In a post written on July 16 to encourage Canadians to write to the federal court, Shields explains:
“Why the Canadian Bill of Rights Still Matters
Today’s hearing also referenced Shaw v. Canada, affirming that a court has discretion to hear new issues where failing to do so risks injustice.
If ever there was a case where that principle must apply, it is this one.
The Canadian Bill of Rights guarantees:
Section 1(a) – the right to life, liberty, and property, and to not be deprived of them except by due process;
Section 2(e) – the right to a fair hearing before being stripped of legal rights.
The Minister of Justice, under Section 3 of the Canadian Bill of Rights, has a legal obligation to review all federal laws and regulations to ensure they do not violate these rights. Where violations exist, the Minister must report them to Parliament. The CFIA’s actions, if left unchecked by this Court, would represent a clear failureof this legal duty and a dangerous precedent of constitutional neglect.
The CFIA’s policy-driven cull orders offer none of these protections. No tribunal. No testing. No hearing. No due process. Just destruction.
If the Court upholds the lower court’s decision, it effectively affirms that government agencies may act unilaterally, free from scientific challenge, legal accountability, or constitutional restraint.
This Isn’t About One Farm Anymore
It’s about every Canadian farmer who raises livestock.
It’s about every citizen who depends on fair trials and science-based decisions.
It’s about whether bureaucracy can trump biology, and whether flawed policies — drafted without public scrutiny — can dictate irreversible actions.
Today’s outcome will either open the door for truth and fairness… or bolt it shut.”
In addition to covering globalist-controlled health policy, on July 9, 2025 Shields also addressed globalist-controlled fiscal policy. (Have you ever heard of bank “bail-ins”, “programmable money” or centralized banking legislation, for example the European Union’s timeline for the implementation of digital currency?)
On June 28, 2025 she explained what most journalists completely missed: the implication of having Members of Parliament and Senators rush to pass Bills C-5, C-6 and C-7 just before the start of summer break. How many journalists, legal and policy analysts, politicians or members of the public truly understood what powers Canada has now given the Prime Minister and/or his designates in the Privy Council?
“3 The provisions of this Act and the regulations made under it prevail over the provisions of any other Act of Parliament and any regulations made under any other Act of Parliament to the extent of any conflict between them.”
See:
ORIGINAL POST:
Canadian journalists, policy makers and the general public are invited to view the court proceedings taking place from 9:30 am ET on July 15, 2025 as Federal Court of Appeal will decide whether 400 ostriches—none of which have shown illness in over 180 days—live or die.
To register to participate in the virtual courtroom, Canadians can provide their name and their email address here:
https://cas-satj.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KoQVVINFSwy9wE5zvnxmzg#/registration
Currently speaking: BC lawyer Umar Sheikh on behalf of United Ostrich Farms (as of 9:45 ET, July 15, 2025). He is presenting five grounds for appeals, four of which relate to the federal court having previously erred in law, and one relates to conflicts of interest in the case of previous legal representation obtained by the farm.
As described in the substack written by citizen journalist Connie Shields,
this isn’t just about ostriches. It’s about whether property rights, scientific freedom, and due process still mean anything in this country. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has weaponized its authority, refusing independent testing, denying treatment, and threatening farmers into silence. If this can happen to them, it can happen to any of us. This is the litmus test for our country’s commitment to its founding legal protections.
The flock in question represents over 25 years of genetic and commercial development. It is also a cornerstone of scientific work that may offer future medical breakthroughs. If the stay is not granted, and this appeal denied, there is no remedy. But this matter goes beyond the technical. It touches the heart of what it means to live in a free country. The Canadian Bill of Rights guarantees every individual the right to the enjoyment of property and the protection of that right under due process of law. Yet CFIA acted with unchecked discretion, refusing to allow testing, refusing to consider serological immunity, refusing any third-party veterinary care, and threatening $200,000 fines or jail time for those who dared treat their own healthy animals.
The CFIA acted not as a steward of animal health, but as an agent of destruction. This is not a mere regulatory disagreement—it is an egregious abuse of power. And it is precisely the type of abuse the courts were designed to constrain.
As Universal Ostrich Farms stands before the Federal Court of Appeal on July 15, the outcome will send a ripple across the nation—either affirming the rights of private citizens and scientific pioneers or handing unchecked power to agencies that answer to no one.
This is about more than birds.
It’s about the soul of the nation.
The CFIA’s refusal to allow testing, their threats of fines and imprisonment for treating healthy animals, and their attempt to bury 140,000 pounds of living science is not just a bureaucratic mistake—it is a deliberate act of destruction, justified by corrupted logic.
But Canadians are waking up. Farmers are remembering they do have rights. And like the Bill of Rights itself, the truth cannot be buried.
One of the expert witnesses testifying at the previous court hearing, Dr. Steven Pelech, is a biomedical research professor at the University of British Columbia.
He explained to CSNews that CFIA ended up culling the same poultry farm four times, and each time the newly arriving chicks ended up testing positive for avian influenza again. “Culling doesn't result in a better result.” He referenced the old saying: “It is insanity to do the same thing again and again expecting a different result.” He also explained the excuse of "needing to prevent zoonotic transfer to humans" is not standing up to scientific scrutiny
Addressing the question of the CFIA’s use of PCR testing for the two deceased ostrich carcasses Dr. Pelech explained that PCR testing alone is useless unless it is set near 24 cycles and backed up by blood tests. The more cycles used, the greater the likelihood that the results being returned end up showing as false positives.
Because today’s court hearing is a review of an earlier decision by the CFIA to have 400 ostriches culled, information that has become available following that date is not supposed to be considered. However, journalists, political staffers and the public, once aware of the potential for conflicts of interest between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the gain of function research, the manufacturers of avian influenza vaccines will see a clear parallel between two situations…. In order for Health Canada to clear a pathway for the emergency use authorization (aka Interim Order) of COVID-19 vaccine products, any other therapeutics needed to be discredited, and their advocates silenced. In order for CFIA’s partners in the manufacturing of avian influenza vaccine products, any other therapeutics, including the antibody research happening by means of ostrich egg production, needs to be silenced. (See CFIA, Do I Smell a Conflict of Interest?)
The Role of the World Organization for Animal Health
The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) is playing a similar role as was played by the World Health Organization during the declared COVID-19 pandemic We learn here that “The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) is responsible for the stamping out” policy that has resulted in the culling of millions of chickens and other animals.”
And yet… technically, the CFIA is NOT bound by WOAH to the "stamping out" policy. (it is the CFIA’s own choice to insist on this route.) The CFIA claimed that they are required to follow the “stamping out” policy for trade reasons, while our largest trading partner now has changed course on that policy. Not even the recent statement from WOAH's top science advisor supports mass depopulation of herds. Dr. Gregorio Torres references the need to ensure strategies used by member agencies are socially acceptable: “Control strategies should be evidence based and need to be accepted by the society. We know that massive stamping out of poultry farms might not be sufficient to contain the risk and definitely are not socially acceptable.” (At the 22:56 mark here.)
As written by CSNews on May 15, 2025
CFIA is essentially an "outpost"(National Focal Point or NFP) of the WHO, as is PHAC and a bunch of other Health Canada departments - which means that as long as we are members of the WHO and we sign on to the International Health Regulations, those NFP agencies will be REQUIRED to carry out tasks on behalf of WHO HQ. See page 3 sections 3 & 4 and this line
Additional tasks have been identified which the national authority may need to carry out through the NFP or other bodies; these are set out in the Appendix.
See also from the Appendix:
WHO may issue temporary recommendations under Article 15 of the IHR(2005) and make standing recommendations for routine or periodic application under Article 16. Once such recommendations are issued or made, they will be communicated to NFPs via the WHO IHR Contact Points. NFPs may be responsible for ensuring that government officials are aware of such recommendations and for providing any necessary advice relating to the implementation of health measures.
Given what our governments all did with WHO's COVID recommendations, we can see this happening repeatedly (wth "may" meaning "should")
Both the WHO and the WOAH, as well as their parent organization, the United Nations, have been in partnership with the world’s largest corporate lobby group, the World Economic Forum for at least a year. Claiming to be involved in a “public private partnership” with a wide range of “stakeholders” the UN/WEF collaboration is a clear example of corporatism…unelected corporate entities, working through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the United Nations to guide and shape government policies. See more here:
Pattern of globalist organizations taking over national decision making unchallenged
Canadians are reminded of the following developments happening in consort with each other:
The World Health Organization Pandemic (WHO) Pandemic Treaty and the June 1, 2024 to the International Health Regulations (IHR) are being silently agreed to by PM Carney and his unspecified entourage in the Privy Council, an unelected body that does not make recordings of its meetings public - one that considers the Federal Cabinet to be its “executive arm”. The Privy Council office seems to operate by means of secret memos, as we learned in June 2023. Agreeing to submit Canada to the blanket terms of WHO emergency declarations without consideration of local realities takes away Canadian sovereignty over decision-making not only in health matters but also when it comes to information management and legal due process. Canadians opposed to nearly every measure in Bill C-293 (including surveillance, land use, food production, quarantine and lockdown measures) are now seeing a repeat performance in PM Carney’s acquiescence to the two WHO documents. The lack of public discussion around these matters guarantees that Canada will once again implement the kinds of costly yet ineffective bioscecurity measures, including lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations that were rolled out following the WHO’s declaration of a pandemic emergency for COVID-19. Learn more in this Letter to World Leaders and in this critique of key articles of the Pandemic Treaty.
The World Heath Organizations is Pushing for a “Permanent Tech Alliance to Institutionalize Digital Health Messaging and Behavior Control…As the WHO repositions itself for future health crises, its digital communication strategy is clear: deepen ties with tech giants, sustain control over digital health discourse, and prioritize behavior modification over mere information dissemination. The organization’s post-pandemic playbook seems less about restoring public trust through transparency and more about institutionalizing an infrastructure of message management built on censorship-era foundations.”
The revelations included in a document called The COVID DOSSIER
A Record of Military & Intelligence Coordination of the Global COVID Event essentially showing how the management of the COVID-19 Pandemic “was a global operation coordinated through public-private intelligence and military alliances and invoking laws designed for CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) weapons attacks.” For specifics regarding Canada see: https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/i/159885001/covid-dossier-canada
Background information
Note: for the lead-up to today’s Press Release, please see (in reverse order)
MAY 23, 2025 ASK THE EXPERTS: CSN PRESS ROOM: Demystifying Complexities around Antibody Research at the Universal Ostrich Farm — Requesting Clarification from University Research Professor Dr. Steven Pelech
MAY 15, 2025 CSN PRESS ROOM: re: Next Considerations for BC Ostrich Farm following loss of Judicial Review TWO SAMPLE NEWS ARTICLES with LINKS to additional SOURCES to follow for updates in this evolving story
FEB 12, 2025 Update on: CSN PRESS ROOM CFIA SEEKS CLARITY on expediting BC OSTRICH CULL — PRESS RELEASE - BACKGROUND INFORMATION - REFERENCES - QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER INQUIRY + editor's PERSONAL REFLECTION (& 4 songs)
FEB 03, 2025 CSN Press Room - BC Ostrich Farm Story Threatens Pharma Profits & Opens Eyes to the Bigger Context - PRESS RELEASE - Two Opportunities to hear from analysts
JAN 31, 2025 LETTERS: One Sided Reporting on the Ostrich Farm News Story - Sharing letters written by a BC citizen advocate - If only journalists were already trained to follow Critical Balance Reporting Indicators in their work! Even the CFIA would make better decisions!