Last week, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear Universal Ostrich Farm’s appeal of a Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) order to cull what remained of the B.C. farm’s nearly 400 ostriches after an outbreak of avian flu.

In this article, BRC Lead Scholar Janice Graham, together with co-authors Joshua Langston and Shawn Harmon, examines why the CFIA needed to act decisively to enforce public health regulations and safeguard both animal and human health. The authors also emphasize the importance of fostering dialogue and rebuilding trust in public health.

“A new public health governance framework built on good governance principles reliant on clear standards, sound evidence, good communication and effective participation is long past due.

Canadians benefit from strong, effective and enforceable regulatory oversight. Absent this, polarizing partisan politics will continue to compromise not only vaccination but all manner of essential work that government agencies perform on our behalf.”