avian flu

Mark Siemens is a third-generation egg farmer in B.C.'s Fraser Valley and he recalls his grandfather sharing a story about fighting an unknown disease that raced through the farm decades ago, forcing him to cull the entire flock.

Experts suggest commercial poultry, especially factory-farmed and crowded in barns, is one culprit behind the rapid spread of avian flu. But one response by the Canadian government is to compensate farmers — paying the industry millions for bird slaughters — without requiring improved biosecurity against potential pathogens. Perhaps we should question this approach. 

Several times last year, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau found herself stomping through fields talking to farmers dealing with unprecedented floods, drought and hurricanes. The disasters were an "eye-opener" for many, hinting at a future where the climate crisis will make similar disasters more common — and worse. 

Normally, wildlife rehabilitators are just as busy providing care for birds who fall victim to our windows, vehicles and our house cats allowed outdoors. But this year, the landscape is even more perilous, writes animal protection expert Kendra Coulter.

First detected in Canada last year, the H5N1 virus has killed over 1.7 million of the country's domesticated fowl and wreaked havoc on poultry and egg farms.

A Quebec duck-farming operation says three of its facilities have been devastated by avian flu, forcing it to slaughter 150,000 birds and lay off nearly 300 employees.

The number of avian flu cases in Quebec is growing, with four poultry farms now affected by the virus.

It was during the holiday break that something awful started happening to the crows that frequent Victoria Park in downtown Charlottetown.