Hay-bale enclosure set up before Ostrich cull in B.C. charred by fire
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Winnipeg Free Press subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $4.99 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
EDGEWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA – A wall of hay bales used to corral a flock of ostriches in British Columbia in advance of an ordered cull has been charred by fire and parts of it are still smouldering.
Workers could be seen spraying the blackened areas with water as smoke billowed from the three-metre-high enclosure.
Ostriches are visible behind the wall, grazing and moving around, while several RCMP vehicles are stationed in front of the enclosure.
The wall was built Tuesday as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency began preparations to destroy about 400 birds after an outbreak of the avian flu was detected in some of the animals last December.
Tractor trailer trucks moved in with the hay shortly after the arrests of Karen Espersen, who is a co-owner of the farm, and her daughter, Katie Pasitney, when they refused to leave the ostrich pen on Tuesday.
Officials have not said when the cull will start, and it’s unclear if the fire will delay those plans.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2025.