'A lot of uncertainty': B.C. has highest number of avian flu outbreaks in Canada
'A lot of uncertainty': B.C. has highest number of avian flu outbreaks in Canada
Abbotsford, B.C. -
Fourteen months after Dave Martens’ chicken barns on Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie were flooded, the repairs are almost complete and he finally has birds again.
“So far, our birds are healthy and doing well,” he said.
And he hopes it stays that way.
Dozens of other poultry farmers in B.C. continue to face difficulties after their flocks were hit by avian flu.
“Definitely our thoughts are with a lot of producers that are struggling right now,” said Martens.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 70 farms in B.C. are currently infected, impacting more than 3.6 million birds.
By comparison, the next highest numbers in Canada are found in Alberta, where 14 farms and 1.4 million birds are affected. Ontario has 10 premises infected.
“This is very stressful because there’s a lot of uncertainty,” said Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Industry Emergency Operations Centre.
But he says things have improved somewhat.
“We’re really working in the clean up stage, trying to get the farms back into production that were affected,” he said. “It’s been a real struggle. Middle of November into Christmas, we were seemingly getting new cases every day ... That has definitely been correcting itself.”
During that time period, B.C.’s agriculture minister said it was tough for workers to keep up with the demands for depopulating infected farms.
“There were issues with not being able to attend to all the farms in a timely fashion,” said Pam Alexis, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, noting that it is a federal responsibility.
“We actually got on the phone and worked with the federal government to bring in teams to help with the depopulation so we could do it in a timely fashion. So that was one of the biggest hurdles that we faced,” said Alexis.
“Everybody is doing their best to try and prevent a further outbreak,” she said, adding that there have been eight new farms with outbreaks this month.
Nationally and internationally, producers are looking for solutions to a problem that Nickel said has become endemic.
“Our bird populations are carrying the virus and it’s something that we’re going to have to strategize around not only in B.C. and here in Canada, but in other parts of North America,” he said.
Vaccinating birds could be part of a potential solution.
“Vaccination, for one thing, is something being seriously looked at and considered and there’s ways that is being implemented,” said Nickel.
“It’s also complicated because it has to be done together with our trading partners and other countries,” he added, emphasizing that avian flu is “an animal health issue, not a human health issue.”
Meanwhile, farmers like Martens are working to keep their flocks disease free.
“It’s stressful, obviously. It’s how we make our income. It's how we make our livelihood,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can and we’re practising good biosecurity and we don’t let anyone in our barns.”
Only this month, Martens finished most of the required rebuilding and repairs from the flooding disaster of 2021. He lost 40,000 birds in the floods.
He hopes avian flu stays away from his farm and he can avoid further losses.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
A 2021 plane crash at the Westlock Airport was caused by an "unstable visual approach" to the landing runway, a Transportation Safety Board investigator has found.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
The Canadian Press has learned that Ontario has granted a three-month funding extension for doctors to provide care through virtual emergency departments.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
A new regulation that comes into effect Thursday in Quebec prohibits the feeding of white-tailed deer outside of hunting season, from Dec. 1 to Aug. 31, except on l'ile d'Anticosti.
A Winnipeg judge has acquitted a now-retired 93-year-old priest of assault after a residential school survivor accused him of forcing himself on her more than 50 years ago.
A bylaw officer in Manitoba is facing fraud charges for allegedly keeping the surrender fees when people gave up their pets, according to the Brandon Police Service.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
Fire crews remain on scene of a blaze in east London. The call came in around 1:30 a.m. for a structure fire at 720 Cabell St. near Roberts Avenue and crews immediately started a defensive fight from outside the building.
