For the first time ever, H5N1 is present in all provinces. That’s raising fears the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza will be a recurring problem in Alberta, which has lost one million poultry – by far the most in the nation – to this year’s outbreak.

Alberta bears brunt of avian influenza outbreak

Half of Canadian poultry losses have occurred here and officials fear the deadly virus will be a recurring threat

Reading Time: 3 minutes The most widespread avian influenza outbreak in Canadian history is still affecting Alberta. Three commercial poultry operations tested positive in late August and early September for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, bringing Alberta’s total to 35, according to an emergency task force set up by the province’s four poultry associations. More cases are expected this […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Avian flu circles back in Western Canada

All western provinces book new cases in commercial birds

A relatively quiet summer for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada has turned for the worse, with outbreaks on commercial poultry farms in all four western provinces in the past week alone. Cases of high-path avian flu in domestic birds in Canada confirmed and reported by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency since Aug. 31 include: […] Read more


File photo of a plate of tandoori chicken legs. (Paul_Brighton/iStock/Getty Images)

Ontario halal processor to buy poultry packing capacity

Amir Quality Meats taking up Wellington Poultry

An Ontario meat processor specializing in the halal market has a deal in place to boost its capacity by buying a nearby chicken and specialty fowl packer. Amir Quality Meats, which operates a federally registered HACCP-certified boning and cutting plant at Brampton, has an agreement in place to buy the processing plant and “associated supply” […] Read more



An original proposal by Health Canada to label ground beef as high in saturated fat has been shelved.  Photo: Jeff Haynes/Reuters

Health Canada to slap warning labels on sugary, salty and fatty foods

Ottawa | Reuters – Foods high in sugars, sodium and saturated fat will come with clear warning labels in Canada starting in 2026, the federal government said on Thursday, in an effort to promote healthier eating choices and reduce chronic health risks. “We know that it’s not always easy to make healthy choices,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told […] Read more

File photo of a trumpeter swan in springtime on Marsh Lake, southeast of Whitehorse. (Scalia Media/iStock/Getty Images)

Northern egg harvesters cautioned over avian flu

High-path H5N1 found in wild birds in Yukon

Residents of Canada’s northern territories who harvest migratory wild birds and their eggs this spring are urged to take precautions as highly pathogenic avian influenza makes its way northward. The Yukon government’s animal health unit on May 27 reported confirmed cases of high-path H5N1 avian flu in two wild waterfowl carcasses. “Spring migration is ongoing […] Read more


A low-flying bald eagle off the shore of Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley. (SkyF/iStock/Getty Images)

High-path avian flu reaches Vancouver Island

Saskatchewan extends ag fair ban for birds; B.C. restarts lab testing; FCC to offer flexibility

North America’s latest round of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks has now made its way from one end of Canada clear to the other. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday confirmed Canada’s westernmost case ever of high-path avian flu in domestic birds, finding an H5N1 virus in a small-scale poultry flock in the Regional […] Read more

File photo of chicks on a genetic map of a chicken. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

High-path avian flu reaches Alaska

Canada books more cases in five provinces

U.S. federal animal health officials have confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in a backyard flock in southern Alaska, showing the extent of current outbreaks’ reach across North America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said Saturday it had confirmed the presence of high-path avian flu in a “non-poultry” backyard […] Read more


File photo of a rooster in a domestic Canadian flock. (D-Huss/iStock/Getty Images)

Avian flu hits domestic birds in New Brunswick

More cases also booked in Ontario, Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan

Another province in Atlantic Canada has booked its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic birds this year — this time in a non-commercial flock in southeastern New Brunswick. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it confirmed the presence of high-path avian flu on Monday in a small flock at Turtle Creek, about […] Read more

Jeff Notenbomer has implemented very robust biosecurity measures on his farm but still worries a deadly strain of bird flu might arrive via something as simple as a leaf blowing into a barn when a door is momentarily open.

Avian flu hits Alberta, and the cost is already high

The bird flu strain spreading around the world has a very high mortality rate, says producer

Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta poultry and egg producers remain on alert as the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype of avian influenza continues to spread across the country. At press time, there have been 17 confirmed cases of avian influenza. Flocks on affected properties have been euthanized using CO2 gas under federal protocols. Primary control zones are being established in […] Read more