In June 2020, Ontario passed Bill 156, becoming the second province in Canada to pass an ag-gag law. Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Ernie Hardeman, said the following in support of his ag-gag bill: “We want everyone to know that animal welfare is a top priority for our government.” Ignoring the political doublespeak of uttering a […]
As slaughterhouse workers got sick, 330,000 tonnes of meat were being exported out of Canada
During the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic, we tracked COVID-19 outbreaks in Canadian slaughterhouses. Along with long-term care homes, slaughterhouses quickly became COVID-19 hotspots, with the Cargill slaughterhouse in High River, Alberta being the centre of Canada’s largest COVID-19 outbreak, with over 950 workers contracting the virus. Tragically, 3 people died because of that […]
Hundreds of COVID-19 cases linked to Cargill’s Alberta slaughterhouse highlights the greed and exploitation in the Canadian beef sector
On April 13, 2020, there were 38 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a High River, Alberta slaughterhouse that is operated by Cargill, a company based in Minnesota, US. Just four days later, Alberta Health Services announced that there were now 358 COVID-19 cases linked to this slaughterhouse. This is the latest in a series of […]
Dead, Dying, and Diseased: Canada’s Inhumane Animal Transport System
On a bitter -20°C morning, dozens of dogs were loaded onto an open-sided semi trailer in Calgary, Alberta. They were destined for Toronto, Ontario – a 36 hour journey without any stops for rest, food or water. Completely exposed to the elements and the extreme wind chill of -40°C, many dogs developed severe frostbite. Dogs […]
The Coronavirus is Humanity’s Final Warning: We Need to Treat Animals Better
Our civilization is on a precipice and we have only ourselves to blame. As the coronavirus sweeps the globe, closes our borders, destroys our economies and livelihoods, and kills our most vulnerable, we need to come to terms with our reality: zoonotic diseases are borne of and exacerbated by the consequences of our dominant attitudes […]
What are “Dairy Educators” and what are they doing inside Ontario classrooms?
Canada’s new Food Guide was released in January 2019, much to the displeasure of the dairy industry. For as long as the Food Guide existed, milk and dairy were featured prominently as an essential food group. But when dairy was dropped as its own food group, the dairy industry was furious. The Dairy Farmers of […]
Industry in the Classroom: How Big Meat and Dairy Influence the Curriculum in Canadian Schools
The following tweet was sent out by the Saskatchewan chapter of Agriculture in the Classroom and became the starting point for this piece. The language used in this tweet conceptualizes a specific view of how animals should be viewed by children. Stating that there are “uses” for “the pig” reduces a sentient animal to a […]
Does Factory Farming Exist in Canada? Here’s what the data says.
On December 11, 2019, Ontario MPP Goldie Ghamari spoke in the Ontario Legislature to provide support for Bill 156, Ontario’s new Ag-Gag bill: Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. Bill 156 aims to hide animal cruelty by increasing trespassing fines for people exposing animal abuse on farms, creating “animal protection zones,” and silencing […]
State-Sanctioned Cruelty: How Canadian Laws Authorize Abuse Towards Animals
Most people will agree that cruelty to animals is morally wrong. This sensibility exists across the political spectrum – from people on the left to people on the right, and from vegans to meat-eaters alike. The idea that animal cruelty is morally wrong is such a deeply held conviction that governments have animal-specific legislation that […]
Keeping Animal Abuse Hidden in British Columbia: Bill M227
On October 28, 2019, British Columbia’s MLA for Chilliwack-Kent, Laurie Throness, introduced a private member’s bill, M227 – Trespass Amendment Act, along with Delta South MLA Ian Paton. This bill specifically targets animal activists seeking to expose the cruelty that is happening on farms across British Columbia. Laurie Throness says the bill will add specific […]