Alert level: yellow
OPQ: Q-518
Session: 451
Suggested file name: Expenses_to_cull_ostriches_at_Edgewood_farm
Tabled on: January 26, 2026
Agencies: 
Estimated questions: 14
Estimated responses: 3
Original filename: Q-518 - Expenses to cull ostriches at Edgewood farm, January 26, 2026.pdf

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Q-518
Question
With regard to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's action on the ostrich farm in Edgewood, British Columbia: (a) what are
the expenditures to date, incurred by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, related to the farm, in total and broken down by
type of expense; (b) what is the itemized breakdown of the expenses in (a); (c) what are the expenditures to date, incurred by
the Department of Justice, related to any action taken related to the farm, in total and broken down by type of expense; (d)
what is the itemized breakdown of the expenses in (c); (e) what are the expenditures to date, incurred by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, related to any action or operation taken related to the farm, in total and broken down by type of expense; (f)
what is the itemized breakdown of the expenses in (e); and (g) were there any government expenses related to the farm which
were not included in the responses in (a) through (f), and, if so, what are the details, including the amounts of each expense?
Response
This response was tabled in the House of Commons on December 8, 2025, as Sessional Paper 8555-451-518.
Order/Address of the House of Commons
Question number
Q-518
Asked by
Scott Anderson (Vernon—Lake
Country—Monashee)
Date asked
October 22, 2025
Presented by
Tabled on
December 8, 2025
Sessional Paper
8555-451-518
House of Commons

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Reply by: the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Name of Signatory: The Honourable Heath MacDonald, PC, MP
Reply
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
a) what are the expenditures to date, incurred by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency, related to the farm, in total and broken down by
type of expense?
Kevin Lamoureux
Parliamentary Secretary to the
Leader of the Government in
the House of Commons
Category Expenditures to Date (October 24, 2025)
Animal Feed $8,555.00
Facilities (Rentals) $72,733.37
Materials and Supplies $167,549.70
Professional Services $151,593.55
Public Utilities $3,300.00
Shipping & Courier $29.47
Travel Expenses $17,254.14
Vehicles (Rentals) $20,248.95
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Grand Total $441,264.18
These costs reflect increased expenditures as a result of having to address security concerns, replacement contractors and
the need to replace procured materials such as straw following the attempt to burn the structure.
(b) what is the itemized breakdown of the expenses in (a) ?
Category Product/Service Expenditures to Date October
24, 2025
($)
Animal Feed Ostrich Feed $8,555.00
Animal Feed Total Animal Feed Total $8,555.00
Facilities Portable washrooms, hand wash stations$72,733.37
Facilities Total Facilities Total $72,733.37
Materials and SuppliesStraw & Delivery $105,000.00
Materials and SuppliesSpecialized Equipment $32,738.00
Materials and SuppliesMaterials & Supplies $29,811.70
Materials and Supplies Total Materials and Supplies Total $167,549.70
Professional Services Office Security (at 3 Canadian Food Inspection
Agency offices)
$94,814.10
Professional Services Transportation of materials $45,000.00
Professional Services Biocontainment compliance monitoring$6,735.00
Professional Services Destruction pre-planning $4,510.00
Professional Services Laundry $534.45
Professional Services Total Professional Services Total $151,593.55
Public Utilities Operational refuse bin rental and tipping fees$3,300.00
Public Utilities Total Public Utilities Total $3,300.00
Shipping & Courier Shipping $29.47
g) were there any government expenses related to the farm which were
not included in the responses in (a) through (f), and, if so, what are the
details, including the amounts of each expense?
Salary expenditures (including regular time, overtime and any other additional allowances) for infected premises are tracked
in hours but have not yet been costed and reported in the financial system.
Justice Canada
Reply by: the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency
Name of Signatory: the Parliamentary Secretary Patricia Lattanzio
Reply
Department of Justice
(a) What are the expenditures to date, incurred by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency, related to the farm, in total and broken down by
Category Product/Service Expenditures to Date October
24, 2025
($)
Shipping & Courier Total Shipping & Courier Total $29.47
Travel Expenses Travel Expenses $17,254.14
Travel Expenses Total Travel Expenses Total $17,254.14
Vehicles Vehicle Rentals $14,349.00
Vehicles Recreational Vehicle Rental $5,899.95
Vehicles Total Vehicles Total $20,248.95
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Grand Total
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Grand Total $441,264.18
type of expense? (b) What is the itemized breakdown of the expenses
in (a)?
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will respond to these parts of the inquiry.
(c) What are the expenditures to date, incurred by the Department of
Justice, related to any action taken related to the farm, in total and
broken down by type of expense? (d) What is the itemized breakdown
of the expenses in (c)?
With respect to Department of Justice legal costs associated with action taken related to the ostrich farm in Edgewood
British Columbia (“the ostrich farm”), to the extent that the information that has been requested is or may be protected by
any legal privileges, including solicitor-client privilege, the federal Crown asserts those privileges. In this case, it has only
waived solicitor-client privilege, and only to the extent of revealing the total legal costs, as defined below.
The total legal costs (actual and notional costs) associated with action taken related to the ostrich farm, amount to
approximately $1.32 million. The services targeted here are litigation services as well as litigation support services.
Department of Justice lawyers, notaries and paralegals are salaried public servants and therefore no legal fees are incurred
for their services. A “notional amount” can, however, be provided to account for the legal services they provide. The notional
amount is calculated by multiplying the total hours recorded in the responsive files for the relevant period by the applicable
approved internal legal services hourly rates. Actual costs represent file related legal disbursements and legal agent fees,
as the case may be. The total amount mentioned in this response is based on information contained in the Department of
Justice systems, as of October 29, 2025.
(e) What are the expenditures to date, incurred by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, related to any action or operation taken related to the
farm, in total and broken down by type of expense? (f) What is the
itemized breakdown of the expenses in (e)? (g) Were there any
government expenses related to the farm which were not included in
the responses in (a) through (f), and, if so, what are the details,
including the amounts of each expense?
Public Safety Canada will respond to these parts of the inquiry.
Public Safety Canada
Reply by: the Minister of Public Safety
Name of Signatory: Jacques Ramsay, Parliamentary Secretary
Reply
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(e) what are the expenditures to date, incurred by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, related to any action or operation taken related to the
farm, in total and broken down by type of expense?
Between February 20, 2025, and October 22, 2025, the total expenditure is $457,471.
(f) what is the itemized breakdown of the expenses in (e)?
(g) were there any government expenses related to the farm which
were not included in the responses in (a) through (f), and, if so, what
are the details, including the amounts of each expense?
The expenditures reported are only those that have been reflected in the financial system as farm related expenditures as
of October 22, 2025. Salaries and other pending expenditures such as Overtime claims, that have not yet posted in the
financial system related to the farm are not reflected in the data. Total expenditures related to the farm will not be complete
u