The fears of many chicken farmers on Vancouver Island have been realized. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that a case of the avian flu that's been spreading across Canada has been found in a small flock in the Comox Valley on Wednesday.
Jeremy Vigini considers his birds pets, but they do provide limited income on his Black Creek, B.C., hobby farm, Broken Head Farms.
He's only been at it for a few months but had heard the bird flu was headed towards the island.
"We first started hearing there was a problem last month," he said, noting that he'd been keeping an eye on biosecurity and preventative measures.
Vigini and other poultry operations of all sizes are now under tighter restrictions after a positive case of the avian flu was confirmed on the Mid-Island.
"All we got was a post saying it's in the Comox Valley now, and so our minds went to, 'How do we secure our birds, our pets, all this stuff?'" he said.
Vigini's now put up a new gate and increased fencing and netting to try to keep wild birds out.
Staff and volunteers at the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Centre (MARS) in Merville are increasing their protocols.
"[It's] extremely contagious as far as we are aware, so at this point it can spread to any species of bird. Not necessarily all birds will show symptoms," said Gylaine Andersen, manager of wildlife rehabilitation at MARS.
Staff are now taking a second look at the condition of their current patients.
"It's kind of hard because a lot of these symptoms we're seeing in animals anyway, and now we have to think, 'OK maybe this is the flu instead of whatever else they would normally be,'" said Andersen.
The facility's asking the general public to help out by encouraging birds to socially distance.
"For gathering of birds at bird feeders and bird baths, we are asking that people take those down," said Andersen.
MARS is worried that if the avian flu is left unchecked, it could spread to wild birds, like eagles and geese.
As of Wednesday, seven properties across B.C. had confirmed cases of the avian flu.
Two young emergency room doctors, raised and trained in Montreal, are leaving their jobs after only two years to move back to Toronto – and they say the Quebec health-care model and Bill 96 are to blame.
Crown counsel is seeking to revoke the prior order that granted bail for Tamara Lich, an organizer of the 'Freedom Convoy,' and says he will argue for her to be detained.
The gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style gun that killed at least six people, then evaded initial capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, police said Tuesday.
Hours after gunfire interrupted the Highland Park, Illinois, July Fourth parade, killing six people and wounding dozens more, police apprehended the man they believe was responsible.
The Bank of Canada's strategy of rapidly increasing its key interest rate in an effort to tackle skyrocketing inflation will likely trigger a recession, a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) says.
Canada became the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession protocols to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday.
As passport processing delays and long lineups persist at Service Canada offices, the federal government is looking to buy 801 chairs for people standing in line by the end of this week.
Dressed in Indigenous regalia, National Chief RoseAnne Archibald strode into the annual Assembly of First Nations gathering in Vancouver ahead of a group of chanting supporters on Tuesday. Just the day before, Archibald said she had been 'erased' from the agenda after her suspension in June. Instead, she led opening ceremonies and welcomed attendees in her opening address.
With doctor shortages causing emergency rooms around the country to shut down, a northern Ontario hospital is scrambling to stave off the same fate.
A city in British Columbia's Interior is under a state of local emergency following several reports of flash flooding, and there's more rain in the forecast for the region.
Police in Saanich, B.C., are expected to provide an update on the condition of the six officers who sustained gunshot wounds in a robbery and shootout with two men outside a bank last week.
The Amtrak Cascades passenger train is expected to resume operations between Vancouver and Seattle in September, for the first since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The attorney general of Alberta will intervene in competition tribunal proceedings regarding the $26-billion merger between Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc., according to a notice filed Monday.
Pieces of glass tumbled from the 29th floor of the Stantec Tower Monday evening, damaging two parked cars.
An Edmonton flight bound for Halifax never made it to its destination after landing gear sustained damage during takeoff Monday afternoon.
A few Ontario cities and towns are now offering to pay tourists to encourage them to stay overnight this summer.
As flight delays and lost luggage bring chaos to summer travel plans, Air Canada is advising travellers on how much time they should leave between connecting flights.
The driver of a Lamborghini, which is worth nearly half a million dollars, is facing a stunt driving charge after being caught going nearly triple the speed limit, police say.
A 27-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a death at the McDonald's in Sundre, Alta. early Monday morning.
Calgary councillors are scheduled to debate and vote on a 99-page climate strategy.
The Calgary Flames finally ended Mangiapane's torment during the 2015 NHL Draft with their sixth-round selection, 166th overall.
Two young emergency room doctors, raised and trained in Montreal, are leaving their jobs after only two years to move back to Toronto – and they say the Quebec health-care model and Bill 96 are to blame.
A government investigation into alleged sexual assaults at a Montreal high school has found that 'the dignity of several athletes was compromised' related to a girls' basketball program.
At least three sleepaway camps in Quebec have temporarily shut down because of COVID-19 outbreaks, according to the province's camps association (ACQ).
A woman, a teenager and a one-year-old girl have died following a crash in East Port Hebert, N.S., on Monday.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says an entangled North Atlantic right whale has been spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Miscou Island, N.B., and the Magdalen Islands.
A park in west end Halifax that became the site of an encampment last fall is closing to the public and removing unhoused inhabitants in the process.
It has been a year and a half since a 33-year-old man disappeared in Winnipeg. Police now believe he was a victim of foul play and say someone out there knows something.
Manitobans will soon receive their first quarterly Climate Action Incentive (CAI) payments.
Four people have been charged after police say a serious assault happened at a business in Grand Marais, Man.
Another piece of the Region of Waterloo International Airport’s new multi-million expansion is now complete.
A Cambridge family has launched a $5.5-million civil lawsuit against Victus Academy, an elite hockey prep school in Kitchener, and three of its students.
Benjamin Dufour, the seven-year-old boy who was gravely injured by an impaired driver in Regina last month, has shown positive signs of recovery, according to a news release from his family.
The Moose Jaw Warriors will have a new logo for the 2022-23 season, after unveiling a Snowbirds-inspired design on Tuesday morning.
The Canadian Tire in east Regina was evacuated Tuesday morning while the Regina Police Service (RPS) arrested a robbery suspect.
Police in Barrie arrested a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant as he made his way into the city Monday night.
Police in Innisfil released an image of a vehicle allegedly involved in a hit and run that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital.
Innisfil friends are running their second annual charity garage sale - aptly named Innisfil's Biggest Garage Sale.
Saskatoon police were dealing with a moose roaming the city Tuesday morning.
RCMP are investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash about five kilometres north of Martensville on Highway 12.
The Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan has rescinded its guidelines on how physicians should handle unplanned pregnancies.
With doctor shortages causing emergency rooms around the country to shut down, a northern Ontario hospital is scrambling to stave off the same fate.
A 25-year-old resident of Mindemoya has been charged in connection with a fatal crash June 4 north of Webbwood.
As flight delays and lost luggage bring chaos to summer travel plans, Air Canada is advising travellers on how much time they should leave between connecting flights.
