The neighbours of the Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., have filed a lawsuit against the federal government, the RCMP, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), alleging police overreach during the 2025 ostrich cull.A press release stated that the plaintiffs, Alyson Turnbull, Trevor Klug, and Margaret Greba, allege they had to endure "trespass, unlawful interference with property, harassment, assault and battery, and psychological harm" while RCMP and CFIA agents were working on their neighbour's' farm..The lawsuit alleges that RCMP and CFIA agents stayed on their property for 52 days, from September to November 2025, during their controversial cull of around 300 ostriches at their neighbour's farm following the detection of the Influenza A virus subtype H5N1.The press release also alleges they had to endure "continuous police presence and controlled access to their own home, Daily drone surveillance over the residence and yard, creation of multiple new access points and extensive property damage, spreading of material from the slaughter site onto their land, nearly 1,000 rounds fired during the November 6 cull directly beside the residence, without warning."The release contained quotes from Alyson Turnbull, a plaintiff and daughter of the property owners.Turnbull said, “We were forced to go through an armed checkpoint just to enter and exit our own property, showing ID, waiting for permission, and dealing with shifting levels of aggression at our own gate.”“We lived beside weeks of visible animal suffering that ended in sudden gunfire without warning. Our sense of safety and privacy was completely shattered, and we are still distraught that our land was used to facilitate something so horrific.”The property owners are seeking "injunctive relief, remediation of the land, and damages as determined by the court."
