The Stay Heard Around the Coop: How One Farm Just Proved the Power Still Belongs to the People

"Irreparable Harm": What the Ostrich Case Reveals About Our Rights—And What Comes Next

On June 20, 2025, the Federal Court of Appeal issued a landmark statement in its stay order regarding the case of Universal Ostrich Farms Inc. vs. the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA):

“The appellant will be exposed to irreparable harm if the stay is not granted.” — Federal Court of Appeal

That one line should echo across every farm, courtroom, and Parliament office in Canada.

It’s not the first time this language has surfaced in this battle. Back on January 31, 2025, Justice Michael Battista of the Federal Court also recognized the threat of irreparable harm when he granted a judicial review and stayed CFIA’s original cull order. He wrote that without an injunction, the CFIA’s actions would result in:

“...the closure of UOF’s 25-year old business and the loss of the Applicant’s decades-long efforts in cultivating a unique herd of ostriches.”

Yet, despite this recognition, the original legal team did not push hard enough to defend property rights, nor did they ground the argument in the Canadian Bill of Rights—which explicitly protects the right to “enjoyment of property” and due process under law. That missed opportunity underscores what so many of us have learned the hard way: your legal representation matters.

But today, there is a new sheriff in town. A lawyer who sees beyond procedural box-checking and recognizes what this case is really about: human rights, food sovereignty, and defending the rule of law in the face of creeping bureaucratic tyranny.

We must now press forward to ask:

• Why were only two birds tested?

• Why were all requests for independent testing denied?

• Why has the CFIA forbidden the farm from testing, treating, or even gathering its own water or soil samples?

• And why—after 165 days with no symptoms, no spread, no additional “cases” in the entire province—are the feds still pushing to slaughter what appear to be healthy animals?

This is no longer about public safety—it’s about public submission.

The quote from the Appeal Court isn’t just a technicality—it’s a warning flare. A precedent. A crack in the dam of unaccountable state power.

And with Bill C-5 having just passed on June 26, giving cabinet supremacy over Parliament and the judiciary itself, that quote may prove even more urgent. If we don’t defend these footholds now, Canada’s last remaining rights will be swallowed by ministerial discretion and backdoor governance.

So let’s not waste this moment.

Let’s use their own words to rally the people.

Because in the end, “irreparable harm” isn’t just what’s happening to a farm.

It’s what happens to a nation when the people no longer have the right to say “No.”

Make This Your Line in the Sand

The Federal Court of Appeal’s declaration that Universal Ostrich Farms would face “irreparable harm” if the stay was not granted isn’t just a legal term — it’s a siren blaring across the nation. This is more than a battle for one farm. It’s a litmus test for whether Canada will uphold the rule of law, property rights, and bodily autonomy — or abandon them under the crushing weight of unelected bureaucracy and biosecurity hysteria.

We are not out of the woods — not even close. With Bill C-5 now passed, giving Cabinet unchallengeable supremacy, this ruling may be the last breath of judicial restraint before a long, dark night of unchecked administrative power. But this win reminds us: when the people rise, the tide shifts.

To every farmer, parent, scientist, trucker, and citizen — this is your moment. Stand up. Speak out. Get involved. Support legal defense funds, pressure your elected officials, share this story, and demand that the Canadian Bill of Rights be enforced — not erased.

Because if the government can do this to a peaceful farm in British Columbia, they can do it to anyone.
We either draw the line now, or be pushed over the cliff tomorrow.
The choice is ours — and history is watching

Add your comments below. Share what you're doing to help stop this trainwreck. The more we discuss ideas, the more likely we are to find creative, lawful ways to enforce our rights — together.

For more information on the Canadian Bill of Rights click on the image below: