Trial decision expected

The future of proceedings against those charged of abusing chickens in 2017 could be decided this afternoon.

An arraignment hearing – where those charged plead innocent or guilty, and opt for trial by judge or jury – was scheduled for July in Chilliwack, but was put over till August 28 in Surrey. Defense counsel requested the change due to questions regarding the integrity of the video footage on which the charges hinge.

However, two deferrals prompted Judge Gary Cohen last month to urge a prompt arraignment. He set a deadline of today, saying either defence would have to make its decision of the kind of trial it wanted, or he would do it for them – stating his preference for judge and jury.

The charges were brought forward by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency against chicken catcher Elite Farm Services Ltd., its president Dwayne Dueck and processor Sofina Foods Inc. The three were charged in December 2018 with 38 counts of unlawfully beating chickens and treating them in a way likely to cause harm.

CFIA declined to comment on the case, as it is before the courts. The BC Chicken Marketing Board pleaded ignorance of the court proceedings, while Sofina Foods Inc. did not respond to requests for comment.

All content on this website is copyrighted, and cannot be republished or reproduced without permission.

1 week ago

Canada's mushroom growers will have to post countervailing duties next week following a US Department of Commerce determination that Canada's tax regime effectively subsidized growers, allowing them to cause "material injury" to US growers through their exports. Canada is a major exporter of mushrooms to the US, with the countries effectively operating as a single value chain thanks in part to one of the largest mushroom producers, South Mill Champs, headquartered in Pennsylvania.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

View Comments

Likes: 2
Shares: 2
Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

2 weeks ago

... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 6
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

The Jura Ranch near Princeton sold for nearly $5.3 million on May 12, the largest online ranch sale in BC in months, according to CLHBid.com, which handled the sale. The buyer was not named. Formerly owned by Rob and Kelly Lamoureux, which developed the successful Jura Grassfed brand, the ranch includes 2,625 deeded acres and a grazing licence totalling 83,698 acres. Originally offered at $4.2 million, the competitive bidding process delivered a higher value than the current market would suggest. Farm Credit Canada’s latest farmland value survey pointed to 1.7% decline in BC last year, which observers have attributed to tight margins and uncertainties related to Crown tenure.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 40
Shares: 10
Comments: 4

I sure hope it remains as farm land rather than a wind or solar installation.

Great grassland

yeah, who bought it? where are the checks and balances that ensure a ranch can continue being a ranch?

Uncertainty about crown land, aka native land grabs and unceded land claims being tossed around like it wasn't meant to destabilize the country?

American businessmen have quietly accumulated nearly 4,000 acres of farmland in the Robson Valley community of Dunster, sparking calls for restrictions on foreign and corporate agricultural land ownership in BC. Residents say the buy-up has driven population decline and priced out young farmers. MLAs from both parties and a UNBC professor are pointing to Quebec's new farmland protection legislation as a model BC should follo#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Foreign land buyers hollow out Dunster

www.countrylifeinbc.com

DUNSTER – Purchases of swathes of farmland in the Robson Valley by wealthy American businessmen have some in BC demanding restrictions on foreign and corporate ownership of agricultural land.

Likes: 26
Shares: 3
Comments: 1

This is a serious issue in Dunster and one that has impacts for wildlife and human neighbours.

Representatives from Quail's Gate Winery Estate Winery in West Kelowna were panellists during the Okanagan Cultivates event held at Okanagan College's Kelowna campus on May 7. The college has been hosting events like this to help elevate conversations in the community about what's grown locally and its impact on the region's food, wine and tourism industry. The Quail's Gate panel, which included Ben Stewart, discussed the long history of grape growing and winemaking in front of a large crowd who came to listen, learn and taste products from a number of local wineries and restaurants. A new $48.8M food, wine and tourism centre is now under construction at the college to open in fall 2027. The building will have modern food labs, a student-led restaurant and café and specialized training spaces for culinary, viticultu#BCAgd tourism studies.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 8
Shares: 0
Comments: 0