Abuse charges recommended

ABBOTSFORD – An investigation of Cedar Valley Farms by the BC SPCA has resulted in charges being recommended against the farm and key individuals in relation to documented instances of animal abuse last year.

“The recommended charges will be before Crown counsel for a decision as to whether or not they will approve charges against individuals/farm,” Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer with the BC SPCA told Country Life in BC last month.

Details of the charges were not provided, as they have yet to be formally laid.

Delegated with enforcement powers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, BC SPCA launched its investigation last October after receiving video footage from Animal Justice Canada showing what appeared to be violations of provincial and federal laws related to animal care and welfare at the organic dairy farm in Abbotsford.

Among the more than 300 clips were footage showing animals being caned, kicked and suspended from tractor buckets. Other footage shows what appears to be a botched effort to euthanize a down animal.

BC SPCA’s investigation ran alongside one by the BC Milk Marketing Board, which temporarily suspended Cedar Valley’s licence prior to reinstating it with several conditions, including the requirement to hire an independent farm manager chosen by and reporting directly to the marketing board.

BC Milk also engaged an independent vet to perform regular, unannounced inspections to ensure the welfare of the farm’s stock and changes in farm practices.

All management and employees must also undergo training in cattle handling and animal welfare and sign a cattle care commitment subject to outside verification and review.

“This licence is conditional, and if we don’t see the changes happening that we expected to see, then we’ll revisit our decision,” BC Milk chair Janice Comeau said at the time.

The marketing board said the farm, owned by the Vanderwal family, has been cooperative

“The farm has responded constructively, and we’ve seen good progress with the farm complying with all board orders,” the board said in a statement lsat month. “Our monitoring continues, and will remain in place until the BC Milk Marketing Board determines it is no longer required.”

BC Milk declined comment on the recommendation of charges, noting they’re “the purview of the BC SPCA and Crown.” However, it says any employee under investigation for animal abuse is not permitted to be employed at Cedar Valley.

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7 hours ago

Forty-six regions in BC are eligible to participate in the federal livestock tax deferral program, announced yesterday, more than anywhere else in the country. The program allows producers who downsize their breeding herds by 15% to defer reporting the proceeds until the following year, when they buy replacement stock. But after multiple years of drought, the BC beef herd is cruising 25-year lows and some producers are calling for more support to maintain and rebuild their herds. For more, see: [www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-leads-livestock-tax-deferrals/]

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4 days ago

After weeks and weeks of no moisture, there's rain in Kelowna today. While much more moisture is needed over the coming weeks and months to reduce drought conditions and the air smells of wet campfire, the slow, steady rain is very welcome for fruit grower#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

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5 days ago

The first Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust Grassland Set-aside Variety Trial Field Day was held at Delta's family-owned Tecarte Farms, August 27. Co-owner Bill Bates and DFWT executive director Christine Schmalz welcomed more than 35 people to view seven acres planted to different grassland blends specifically chosen to rejuvenate the soil and support the farm's blueberries. For the Bates family, it was time to try something different following the decline of the field's blueberry bushes over the past several years. "We tried everything, and nothing worked," says Bates. The blueberries were removed in May and the grassland crops planted about a week later.

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Bessette Creek is the latest watershed hit with a temporary fish protection order this year as the province moves to protect returning Chinook salmon. A total of 131 surface and groundwater users must cease drawing water immediately, with forage producers, greenhouses and nurseries impacted. "Declining flows in Bessette Creek reached record lows in early July 2026 and have remained below the minimum level required to support fish population survival," says the province. Bessette producers have embraced voluntary cutbacks, scheduled irrigation and other measures to reduce water use, and are also waiting on funding to boost water storage infrastructure. They're the second group of producers hit with a provincial order this year. Salmon River irrigators were told to top watering earlier this month following a reprieve to address wildfire risk. Growers in both the Salmon River and Bessette watersheds are urging the province to support new water storage infrastructure in advance of next year.

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There is a problem... having lived in the salmon river ( silver creek ) area, I remember a fish biologist telling family members that salmon only "survive" in high iron content creeks, they do not "thrive".... salmon river ( silver creek ) is a very high iron content, would stain clothes brown when i would use bleach... So don't expect high salmon numbers off of that creek , even in ideal situations...

I just wish they would take an interest in CHASE CREEK....went bone dry...100% of trout abd other species died...smell was terrible from rotting fish. Understand this has happened many times in the past. Chase Irrigation District totally responsible for this disaster. Now fishermen are complaining about major drop in water levels at Pillar Lake.

They could not mismanage things worse than they have. It's impossible for them to. The fact that farmers that we need for our animals are now suffering the consequences our governments have not protected us from, is absolutely fucking wild.