Category: Ostriches

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Universal Ostrich Farms, Part 8: Giving Away Someone ELSE’S Land

The Supreme Court of Canada (S.C.C.) will be asked to hear a case challenging a Government decision to kill 400 or so birds in the name of public health. Worth noting, the S.C.C. declines to hear 90-95% of cases every year. While the subject matter would be fairly unique, numerically, it will be tough to sell it as “national interest”.

This is of course Universal Ostrich Farms, in Edgewood, B.C.

A quick summary of recent events:

  • The CFIA, or Canadian Food Inspection Agency, issued an order at the end on 2024 to cull approximately 400 ostriches from a farm in the Interior B.C. This was on the basis that the ostriches had the “H5N1 virus” based on “PCR testing”.
  • The farmers filed an Application for Judicial Review in Federal Court.
  • The Federal Court granted a temporary stay of the culling until the case was heard.
  • The Federal Court (Justice Zinn) dismissed the Application in May.
  • The Federal Court of Appeal issued another stay in June, until the Appeal was heard.
  • The Appeal was dismissed in August.
  • The Court of Appeal refuses a further stay in September.
  • Just now, the Supreme Court has issued a stay of their own, however, the CFIA will retain possession of the farm until the proceedings are concluded.

Beyond the Court drama, there’s a lot going on with the ostriches that received far less attention. Most importantly, these animals aren’t to be food at all. Instead, they are lab animals, supposedly infected with some manmade “antigens”.

See Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the series for more information.

If nothing else, this situation has shown the cognitive dissonance of protesters. Back in 2021, the rallying cries were that “Covid is a hoax”, or at worst that “It’s just the flu”. Now, the animals are being heralded as the anti-pharma solution to the next pandemic.

Remember: in 2020/2021, PCR testing was seen as “junk science” and completely unreliable. Many of these same protesters railed against it. But now that UOF’s business model is “antibody production”, suddenly PCR tests are a fairly accurate diagnostic tool. Even the Pelech Affidavit only gave mild criticism over cycle counts.

The above video was shot by Drea Humphrey (Rebel News), and posted online. It shows Katie Pasitney telling the RCMP to back off, since the farm is “on Indigenous land”. The news has also been shared on places like Facebook.

Protesters here are likely many of the same ones angry that B.C. Courts have been ruling that various tribes have rights to other people’s private property. They viewed it as Government overreach. But for UOF, it’s apparently okay to just declare Indigenous rights. Okay….

Some of the more astute observers have pointed out that doing this may make it easier for further land grabs in the future. Is invoking UNDRIP really the best idea? This may help Espersen, Bilinski and Pasitney in the short term, but overall, could backfire on them.

But here’s more the interesting part: it’s not their land to give away.

2014 Farm Foreclosure To RBC => Sold To Quigleys

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This was covered in Part 4 of the series. Karen Espersen and David Bilinski don’t actually own the land in question. Nor does Katie Pasitney.

Back in 2012, RBC filed a Petition in B.C. Supreme Court over unpaid debts. The property was eventually sold to Catherine and Thomas (Owen) Quigley, who are the owners today.

Fast forward to 2021, Esperson filed a Notice of Civil Claim against the Quigleys. There had apparently been an agreement to subdivide the land (and get her a portion of it back) that had followed through. There have been endless delays, with Trial scheduled for 2026. The Counterclaim is also worth reading.

It’s anyone’s guess that the Judge will do at the end. But in the meantime, the Quigleys are still the legal owners of the property. There’s no indication — at least from what’s readily available — that they endorsed any of this.

In short, Espersen and Pasitney have told the police that an Indian tribe has rights to the land that belongs to someone else. While it’s an innovative and amusing technique to use against the RCMP, it’s not their property.

Imagine this scenario: you live in an apartment and pay rent. For various reasons, you are unable to meet those obligations, and the landlord tries to evict you. Is it then okay to declare that the property is on unceded land, and that the owners have no rights? That’s more or less what’s happening here.

There’s all kinds of sympathy for the farmers, and their animals. But what about the rights of the owners?

Courts Unwilling To Delve Into Issue

As for the Federal Court rulings themselves, this pretty accurately sums up the frustration that many have with the process.

[6] In this regard, it is not the role of this Court to set, vary, or grant exemptions from governmental policy. Rather, our sole role is to determine whether the decisions at issue in this appeal were reasonable in accordance with the deferential standard of review set out in the case law of the Supreme Court of Canada, this Court, and other Canadian courts. Because the Stamping-Out Policy, which underlies the two decisions, the Notice to Dispose, and the Exemption Denial, are all reasonable in accordance with that case law, we have unanimously concluded that this appeal cannot succeed.

The Federal Court of Appeal has echoed the Federal Court in ruling that it’s not their job to vary Government policy, or to make exceptions. As long as the underlying decisions are “reasonable”, they won’t intervene. Of course, reasonable doesn’t necessarily mean “correct”.

Will the Supreme Court get involved, or will they refuse to hear it? Looking at the low success rate of Applications for Leave, it seems unlikely. Then again, it’s a fairly novel case, with potential to impact many lives down the road. The S.C.C. just might.

While it’s understandable that many have sympathy for UOF, keep in mind that they’re not the only ones impacted by all of this.

For the time being, the CFIA, despite having custody of the birds, is prevented from killing them. How well will they be looked after?

COURT OF APPEAL (CHALLENGING JUSTICE ZINN’S ORDER)
(1) Ostrich APPEAL Notice Of Appeal (May, 2025)
(2) UOF APPEAL Notice Of Appearance (May, 2025)
(3) UOF FCA Appeal Denied (August, 2025)
(4) UOF FCA Motion To Stay Dismissed (September, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (MOTION TO STAY CULL ORDER)
(1) UOF APPEAL Motion Record To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(2) UOF APPEAL Notice Of Motion To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(3) UOF APPEAL Bilinski Affidavit To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(4) UOF APPEAL Bilinski Affidavit Exhibit E June, 2025)
(5) UOF APPEAL Espersen Affidavit To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(6) UOF APPEAL Moving Party Submissions To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(7) UOF APPEAL Responding Motion Record Volume 1
(8) UOF APPEAL Responding Motion Record Volume 2 (June, 2025)
(9) UOF APPEAL Responding Submissions To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(10) UOF APPEAL Order Staying Cullings Pending Appeal (June, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (JUSTICE BATTISTA STAYING CULL ORDER):
(1) UOF Order To Stay Culling (January, 2025)
(2) UOF Notice Of Appeal (February, 2025)
(3) UOF Notice Of Appearance (February, 2025)
(4) UOF Agreement Appeal Book Contents (March, 2025)
(5) UOF Joint Appeal Book (April, 2025)
(6) UOF Consent To Extend Time (May, 2025)
(7) UOF Notice Of Discontinuance (May, 2025)

FEDERAL COURT DOCUMENTS (CFIA):
(1) Ostrich Notice Of Application Certified (January, 2025)
(2) Ostrich Notice Of Application (January, 2025)
(3) Ostrich Notice Of Motion (January, 2025)
(4) Ostrich Bilinski Affidavit (January, 2025)
(5) Ostrich Espersen Affidavit (January, 2025)
(6) Ostrich Pelech Affidavit (January, 2025)
(7) Ostrich Jones Affidavit (January, 2025)
(8) Ostrich Responding Motion Record (January, 2025)
(9) Ostrich Responding Motion Record Expedited (February, 2025)
(10) Ostrich Motion Record Ex-Parte (February, 2025)
(11) Ostrich Exemption Notice Of Application (February, 2025)
(12) Ostrich Exemption Motion Record (February, 2025)
(13) Ostrich Ruling Of Justice Zinn (May, 2025)

MONEY:
(1) https://bcrising.ca/save-our-ostriches/
(2) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ostrich-farmers-fight-to-save-herd-from-avian-flu?attribution_id=sl%3A80e09934-7413-429b-acfb-2f7015cc19d3&lang=en_CA
(3) https://www.givesendgo.com/save-our-ostriches
(4) https://www.kinexus.ca/

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Universal Ostrich Farms, Part 7: CFIA Responds To Motion To Delay Culling

Ever heard the expression that there’s no cure for stupidity?

At this point, it would seem that the most intelligent beings at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C. are the birds themselves. Unfortunately, this isn’t entirely sarcasm.

See Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the series for more information.

In this specific Motion, the farm owners are asking the Federal Court of Appeal to stay (defer) culling their animals until the overall Appeal can be ruled on. They say there’s strong grounds for appeal against the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). They state that aside from the financial costs, the proceedings become “moot”, since the animals would be dead anyway. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?

Part of their plea is based on the claim that they can manage and quarantine the animals effectively, and at their own cost. In essence, they take the matter seriously, and won’t endanger the public. Now, if they want the Justice (whoever decides) to be sympathetic, it stands to reason that they would act responsibly.

But the Affidavit of Cathy Furness changes things. And the arguments are harsh. See parts 1 and 2 of the full Record.

The CFIA has been putting their social media postings into evidence.

Espersen Apparently Sleeps In A Truck In Quarantined Area

121. In addition to the above, I have viewed social media posts shared by the owners of UOF indicating that Karen Espersen has been sleeping in a vehicle within the quarantined premises, which contravenes the quarantine requirements. Members of the public have also posted images on social media platforms which demonstrate that they are in very close proximity to ostriches and within the quarantined area. Attached as Exhibit “PP” is a May 14, 2025 Facebook post from Karen Esperson.

One could argue that there’s nothing inherently wrong with farmers spending time with their animals, even on this scale. That may be true in general. But when the owners are trying to convince the Federal Courts that they’re serious about respecting quarantine rules, this is moronic.

Photos Of Farm Visitors Went Into Evidence

[para 121 continued] … Attached as Exhibit “QQ” are three photographs posted to Facebook by a member of the public on May 25, 2025 showing supporters of UOF, including Karen Esperson’s daughter Katie Pasitney, standing in close proximity to the ostriches inside the quarantined area.

Thanks to Colin Bigbear’s Facebook page, the CFIA now has photographs that visitors (including children) routinely visit the farm. Again, all of this went into evidence for the Motion. It’s to show that quarantine isn’t being taken seriously.

Pasitney’s Interviews Were Downloaded By CFIA

149. Finally, although the risk of transmission of HPAI to humans is generally considered low, the information described above suggests that the farm owners are not taking the necessary precautions to prevent transmission of the virus to people. Katie Pasitney has also publicly stated that she and others have tested positive for H5N1 antibodies. I have reviewed an episode of the “Shadoe Davis Show” posted to Save Our Ostriches’ website on May 12, 2025, in which Katie Pasitney states at 00:25:16 that “we’ve all had our blood tested … and I came back positive for our strain of H5N1 … So we have antibodies”. Katie Pasitney goes on to state that “we have not fallen ill, we’re not sick, but we need to start dispelling the fear mongering because people get hospitalized all the time from just the regular flu, right?” This episode is available online https://saveourostriches.com/podcasts/25-05-12-katie-pasitney-shadoe-davis-show/. Also attached as Exhibit “VV” is an article from the Western Standard reporting that Katie Pasitney and her family tested positive for H5N1 after exposure to the UOF flock.

In Furness’ Affidavit, she states that Katie Pasitney has stated at least twice to testing positive for antibodies. Once was on the Shadoe Davis Show, and another was with Western Standard.

This is dumb for another reason. Instead of trying to challenge the validity of the tests, they just claim that they’re protected. It shuts down a potential defence.

Farm Music Festival Coming Up In July?

Farm Aid Canada? When this was first forwarded, it seemed to be a joke. This wasn’t included with the Furness Affidavit, likely because the site just went up. Still, it’s inevitable that the CFIA will bring it up with the Court at some point.

Additionally, if this Facebook post is to be believed, there’s going to be some camping in the area to help raise money for their legal costs.

While this may help raise money, it won’t help where it really matters: Court. Events such as these make everyone look clownish and unserious.

CFIA Tells Court They’ve Received Threats

100. No in person site visits have occurred since February 26, 2025 due to the risks to staff associated with entering an infected premises where robust disease control and biosecurity measures are not in place, and due to safety concerns associated with the presence of protesters. The basis for these safety concerns include numerous threats against CFIA employees made by members of the public on social media who oppose the presence of CFIA oversight at the premises and the destruction of the ostriches, including protesters currently residing on the premises. I have also reviewed emails, text messages and voice mails received by me and other CFIA employees containing threats and/or suggested threats of violence, including against CFIA employees in the Western region that have previously conducted site visits. Attached as Exhibit “KK” is a May 26, 2025 CBC News article regarding safety concerns raised by the union that represents CFIA workers, including because of online death threats.

Even worse, it makes everyone seem disingenuous. The inspectors state that they cannot return because of threats against staff. Meanwhile, members of the public come and go freely. Now, none of the threats are included, just a CBC article about it. Again, this is from Furness’ Affidavit.

Why Are They Still Asking For Donations?

Universal Ostrich Pharm – the real story – THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY – NO MATTER THE COST TO PEOPLE OR BIRDS.

500 Million JPY ($4.7 million CDN) to be paid to Tsukamoto in April 2024 by Struthio Bio… but now they need a GoFundMe to save the birds…

Where did all the investors go?
Surely, Dr. Lyle Oberg and his $3 billion investment company could pitch in to save his golden egg.

What happened to the 60 MILLION COVID MASKS (at $0.30 a mask)?

And what about the COVID nasal sprays?

What really happened to the Ostrich COVID vaccine before Immune Bio changed hands?

Where did they get antigens from?
We have seen so many places that they are saying the ‘DEAD’ COVID virus was obtained…

And Universal Ostrich Pharm had a contract to sell the eggs for $500 to Struthio – SO THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD BE WORTH TO THEM.

Yet Universal Ostrich Pharm’s expert, who had reviewed all the material, said each egg could be worth $48K to the farm… Not according to the EXCLUSIVE contract they had with Struthio Bio.

LINKED HERE:
https://canucklaw.ca/wp-content/uploads/UOF-APPEAL-Bilinski-Affidavit-To-Stay-Culling.pdf

Remember to donate and attend the Concert at the Bio Lab to save the lab animals.

Source: David Dickson

Some Final Thoughts

Questions posed in the previous section are worth asking. What has happened to the numerous business ventures that Universal Ostrich Farms was connected to? Why can’t those investors put up the money here?

The CFIA argues here that while Justice Battista did stay the cull order back in January, the circumstances are not the same. In particular, they were forced to respond to a Motion on less than a full day’s notice. However, they can now answer more fully.

Even if they succeed in getting another stay of the culling (which is possible) this is far from the end. Although Appeals typically don’t allow new evidence, the CFIA may try to add the social media posts anyway. It’s hard to underscore just how damaging this can be.

The responding arguments mention that the issue of “financial conflict of interest” of former counsel isn’t expanded upon in this Motion. There’s an allegation, but without details or evidence attached. It would be nice to know exactly what that was about.

There comes a point where it’s impossible to feel sympathy for someone. Keep in mind: while they have regular visitors, and shrug off supposed “infection”, these people are telling the Courts that they are serious about their animals and public safety.

And this happens all while they ask for donations.

Perhaps, once Dan returns from Bilderberg, Liberty Talk and Press For Truth can follow up.

COURT OF APPEAL (CHALLENGING JUSTICE ZINN’S ORDER)
(1) Ostrich APPEAL Notice Of Appeal (May, 2025)
(2) UOF APPEAL Notice Of Appearance (May, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (MOTION TO STAY CULL ORDER)
(1) UOF APPEAL Motion Record To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(2) UOF APPEAL Notice Of Motion To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(3) UOF APPEAL Bilinski Affidavit To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(4) UOF APPEAL Bilinski Affidavit Exhibit E June, 2025)
(5) UOF APPEAL Espersen Affidavit To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(6) UOF APPEAL Moving Party Submissions To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(7) UOF APPEAL Responding Motion Record Volume 1
(8) UOF APPEAL Responding Motion Record Volume 2 (June, 2025)
(9) UOF APPEAL Responding Submissions To Stay Culling (June, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (JUSTICE BATTISTA STAYING CULL ORDER):
(1) UOF Order To Stay Culling (January, 2025)
(2) UOF Notice Of Appeal (February, 2025)
(3) UOF Notice Of Appearance (February, 2025)
(4) UOF Agreement Appeal Book Contents (March, 2025)
(5) UOF Joint Appeal Book (April, 2025)
(6) UOF Consent To Extend Time (May, 2025)
(7) UOF Notice Of Discontinuance (May, 2025)

FEDERAL COURT DOCUMENTS (CFIA):
(1) Ostrich Notice Of Application Certified (January, 2025)
(2) Ostrich Notice Of Application (January, 2025)
(3) Ostrich Notice Of Motion (January, 2025)
(4) Ostrich Bilinski Affidavit (January, 2025)
(5) Ostrich Espersen Affidavit (January, 2025)
(6) Ostrich Pelech Affidavit (January, 2025)
(7) Ostrich Jones Affidavit (January, 2025)
(8) Ostrich Responding Motion Record (January, 2025)
(9) Ostrich Responding Motion Record Expedited (February, 2025)
(10) Ostrich Motion Record Ex-Parte (February, 2025)
(11) Ostrich Exemption Notice Of Application (February, 2025)
(12) Ostrich Exemption Motion Record (February, 2025)
(13) Ostrich Ruling Of Justice Zinn (May, 2025)

MONEY:
(1) https://bcrising.ca/save-our-ostriches/
(2) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ostrich-farmers-fight-to-save-herd-from-avian-flu?attribution_id=sl%3A80e09934-7413-429b-acfb-2f7015cc19d3&lang=en_CA
(3) https://www.givesendgo.com/save-our-ostriches
(4) https://www.kinexus.ca/

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Universal Ostrich Farms, Part 6: A Look Into The Motion Staying Cull Order

We’re back to covering the ongoing saga of Universal Ostrich Farms, and the CFIA’s attempt to cull (kill) approximately 400 birds on a B.C. farm. The story keeps getting stranger. An Appeal is underway to challenge a Federal Court ruling, permitting it to go ahead.

See Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the series for more information.

The Appeal was initiated in late May to set aside Justice Zinn’s ruling, which upheld the Canada Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA’s) cull order as “reasonable”. The last article mentioned the sort of concerns that will be raised at the hearing.

But before that, there’s another more immediate problem. Unless otherwise halted, the current cull order is set to go into effect. A Motion was recently filed in order to prevent that, at least for the time being.

The Motion includes Affidavits from Karen Espersen and David Bilinski, in addition to the Notice, and the written arguments.

Such a Motion would likely not involve a hearing. Instead, a single Judge would consider all the filings and issue a decision behind closed doors.

Beyond simply requesting that the culling be deferred, the Motion reveals a lot about the operation that wasn’t previously public (or at least well known).

Motion To Stay Culling Is Well Written

To be more balanced, the filings submitted here are of better quality than what is usually covered on this website. At the end of January, 2025, Justice Battista did temporarily stay the killing of the ostriches. It’s reasonable to assume that the Court of Appeal may as well. While not guaranteed, it’s quite possible.

UOF’s argument to postpone the culling amounts to the following:

  • This appeal is neither frivolous nor vexatious
  • UOF will suffer irreparable harm if its ostriches are slaughtered
  • UOF will suffer the greater harm if a stay is denied

The full Motion Record is available, and includes all the documents. The Notice of Appeal outlines a number of serious errors, such as Justice Zinn not fully understanding the arguments that were before him. It’s stated that he deferred far too much to the CFIA, instead of diving more into the evidence himself. Beyond that, there are allegations (albeit not fleshed out) of financial conflicts of interest with prior counsel.

The Motion further requests that additional testing be done on the birds to see if there are illnesses that may have spread. It’s offered that the Appellants would cover such expenses.

The Motion points out the obvious: if the stay isn’t granted, and the birds are culled anyway, then the entire Appeal becomes moot. There would be no birds left to save.

In fairness though, the CFIA did appeal the Order of Justice Battista at the end of January. It was dropped for being “moot” after Justice Zinn upheld the CFIA order as reasonable. It’s fair to assume that the CFIA will be opposing such a Motion this time around as well.

Bilinski Affidavit Sheds New Light On Business Operations

The Affidavit of David Bilinski is very interesting. It outlines in considerable detail where he and Karen anticipated taking the business to, and whom they would be partnering with. Exhibit “E” is the business plan that was submitted.

An important detail is that the agreement with Breathe Medical fell through when the company declared bankruptcy. The partnership with the Quebec-based Immune Biosolutions appears to have not fared well either. However, there were apparently other options available.

19. By December 2020, UOF’s operations became entirely dedicated to scientific research through antibody production.

20. In Early 2021, Breathe Medical Manufacturing declared bankruptcy and our exclusive supply agreement and corresponding revenue expectations were not realized.

21. In 2022, Karen and I incorporated Struthio Bio Science Inc. (“Struthio”) to, in partnership with UOF, engage in manufacturing and marketing of ostrich egg IgY antibodies and related products. As of the date of this Affidavit, Struthio is wholly owned by Karen and I with each of us holding a 50% share.

22. In April 2024, Karen and I negotiated and entered into agreements which would, inter alia, implement a new ownership structure for Struthio. Under this proposed restructuring, an majority interest in Struthio would be transferred to new principals and governed by a board of directors, including Dr. Tsukamoto – in exchange for investment and the licensing of certain patents necessary for commercialization of IgY antibodies and related products.

23. Exhibit “E” to this affidavit is a true copy of the Struthio BioScience Business Plan dated December 5, 2023 (“Struthio Business Plan”) and accompanying PowerPoint presentation. The Struthio Business Plan is a detailed roadmap for Struthio’s venture to develop and commercialize biomedical products derived from ostrich eggs, and it identifies UOF as a crucial partner supplying the necessary ostrich eggs. Among other things, the plan describes Struthio’s proposed proprietary research into antibodies from ostrich egg yolks, new corporate and governance structure and projects the financial returns from this research over the next several years (in the order of millions of dollars annually). Karen and I would retain 25% each interest in Struthio BioScience Inc.

24. I do not put this forward to assert that those revenue projections will in fact be realized or that the science will succeed. Rather, I rely on the Struthio Business Plan to show the existence of Struthio’s business model and the expectations that UOF and Struthio had at the time: namely, that UOF’s ostrich flock would be used to produce a continuous supply of eggs enabling Struthio’s venture to move forward. The very inclusion of UOF as a key supplier in this plan, and the magnitude of the projected benefits, demonstrate how integral our ostrich flock is to UOF’s commercial strategy with Struthio. The plan provides important context for UOF’s anticipated growth – context which will be completely upended if the flock is destroyed. Any statements or figures in the business plan are being referenced here only to illustrate what Struthio anticipated and the scale of the opportunity UOF stood to gain, not as proof that those outcomes are guaranteed.

25. Exhibit “F” to this affidavit is a true copy of the terms of Struthio and Ostrich Pharma KK (“OPKK”) Agreement (“OPKK Agreement”) which was executed On April 11, 2024.

26. The OPKK Agreement sets out the principal terms of a proposed investment and partnership whereby OPKK agreed in principle to partner with Struthio’s egg-based biotech venture. The OPKK Agreement references anticipated investment, exclusive patent licencing, technology transfer and a revised corporate structure for Struthio. This reflects that OPKK’s confidence in Struthio’s business which was inextricably predicated on UOF’s ostrich flock and egg production.

Do read Bilinski’s Affidavit, especially the business plan which was attached as Exhibit “E”.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

  • Chairman – Dr. Yasuhiro Tsukamoto- President of Kyoto University, Founder and Scientist of Ostrich IgY patents
  • CEO – Interm – Dave Bilinski – Presently recruiting for full time position – Production Expert for Ostrich, 31 Years experience
  • VP – IgY Egg Production – Karen Espersen -, IgY Egg Production Expert for Ostrich, Director Alberta Ostrich Association, 33 Years experience
  • VP Product Development – Dr. Stu Greenberg –, CEO Ostrich Pharma USA
  • Board Member – Dr. Lyle Oberg – Presently Chariman of Alberta Health Services
  • CF0 – Actively recruiting for position
  • CMO – Carol Epstein, M.D. .Dr. Epstein has been in the biopharmaceutical industry for over 25 years. She has served as Chief Medical Officer of IRX Therapeutics, Inc
  • Board Member – To be chosen by investor

ADVISORY BOARD:

  • Dr. Alessio Fasano- Director of Center for Celiac Research & Treatment at MassGeneral Hospital. Director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (50 scientists and staff). Founder of Zonulin
  • Dr. Meer Janjua – BioNektar Inc. Founder and Chief Medical Officer, International Distribution management through Doctors network
  • Dr. Willian Bithoney MD, FAAP – Dr. William Bithoney is an experienced healthcare professional with more than 35 years of experience in the healthcare sector having served as a physician executive in diverse academic and hospital systems
  • Dr. Elma Hawkins, Ph.D. – Dr. Hawkins’s 30-year career encompasses pioneering efforts in biotechnology and drug development, and executive roles in corporate development, strategy, fundraising, and general management
  • Hassan Hassan = Business Development – CEO of Aim-X Canada. Dedicated International Entrepreneur in Natural Resource Exploration & Sustainable Development
  • Ken Davidson , CPA, CA, CFP, ICD.D -Ken Davidson is an accomplished corporate director, consultant, entrepreneur, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and certified Corporate Director (ICD.D) with over 30 years of experience in a diverse range of industries across Canada, the US and the Caribbean

Currently, Espersen and Bilinski co-own Struthio BioSciences, holding 50% each. The proposed new structure would see that reduced to 25% each, and a more corporate format. Bilinski would become the CEO, at least on an interim basis. Espersen would be a Vice President. This is a far cry from the “family farm” that had been portrayed by media outlets.

Wasn’t this supposed to be about protecting the food supply?

Considering the disdain that the Freedom Movement has for “public health” in general, it seems odd to be supporting the expansion of an enterprise that would see the Chairman of Alberta Health Services become one of the Directors.

In other words, donors are contributing to these legal proceedings in order to protect the expansion of a company engaged in scientific research. These ostriches are test subjects, plain and simple.

At this point, one should ask what benefit donors are getting from contributing to this case. Consider that Bilinski and Espersen were willing to give outsiders a 50% stake in the new company. What would be fair to people contributing to these legal proceedings? Should larger donations merit equity, or dividends?

Silence From “Alternative Media” Outlets

Espersen and Bilinski have every right to earn a living. However, when donations are solicited, there’s an expectation that there will be transparency. While this Motion does shed a lot of light on their business model, it seems unlikely that contributors were fully aware of it.

It’s a fair question to ask if Universal Ostrich Farms will even exist a few years from now, regardless of what the CFIA does. Espersen doesn’t own the land, and the Quigleys are trying to kick them out. Yes, it’s still being disputed in Court in B.C., but still worth asking.

Would people be protesting around the farm’s perimeter if they knew these details? Would they (or their children) feel safe around animals injected with experimental antigens? People need to know what else — if anything — these birds were exposed to.

Druthers, among others, did cover the story, and report on these birds being the solution for “natural immunity”. Covid doesn’t exist, but that’s beside the point here. While Kyoto University was mentioned, there was nothing about where the parties planned to take their relationship.

The proposed trajectory is open-ended pharmaceutical testing, where ostriches will be little more than guinea pigs. Again, this is the kind of thing many in the Freedom Movement are against.

A follow-up from Connie would also be nice.

COURT OF APPEAL (CHALLENGING JUSTICE ZINN’S ORDER)
(1) Ostrich APPEAL Notice Of Appeal (May, 2025)
(2) UOF APPEAL Notice Of Appearance (May, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (MOTION TO STAY CULL ORDER)
(1) UOF APPEAL Motion Record To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(2) UOF APPEAL Notice Of Motion To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(3) UOF APPEAL Bilinski Affidavit To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(4) UOF APPEAL Bilinski Affidavit Exhibit E June, 2025)
(5) UOF APPEAL Espersen Affidavit To Stay Culling (June, 2025)
(6) UOF APPEAL Moving Party Submissions To Stay Culling (June, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (JUSTICE BATTISTA STAYING CULL ORDER):
(1) UOF Order To Stay Culling (January, 2025)
(2) UOF Notice Of Appeal (February, 2025)
(3) UOF Notice Of Appearance (February, 2025)
(4) UOF Agreement Appeal Book Contents (March, 2025)
(5) UOF Joint Appeal Book (April, 2025)
(6) UOF Consent To Extend Time (May, 2025)
(7) UOF Notice Of Discontinuance (May, 2025)

FEDERAL COURT DOCUMENTS (CFIA):
(1) Ostrich Notice Of Application Certified (January, 2025)
(2) Ostrich Notice Of Application (January, 2025)
(3) Ostrich Notice Of Motion (January, 2025)
(4) Ostrich Bilinski Affidavit (January, 2025)
(5) Ostrich Espersen Affidavit (January, 2025)
(6) Ostrich Pelech Affidavit (January, 2025)
(7) Ostrich Jones Affidavit (January, 2025)
(8) Ostrich Responding Motion Record (January, 2025)
(9) Ostrich Responding Motion Record Expedited (February, 2025)
(10) Ostrich Motion Record Ex-Parte (February, 2025)
(11) Ostrich Exemption Notice Of Application (February, 2025)
(12) Ostrich Exemption Motion Record (February, 2025)
(13) Ostrich Ruling Of Justice Zinn (May, 2025)

MONEY:
(1) https://bcrising.ca/save-our-ostriches/
(2) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ostrich-farmers-fight-to-save-herd-from-avian-flu?attribution_id=sl%3A80e09934-7413-429b-acfb-2f7015cc19d3&lang=en_CA
(3) https://www.givesendgo.com/save-our-ostriches
(4) https://www.kinexus.ca/

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Universal Ostrich Farms, Part 5: Notice Of Appeal Alleges Incompetent & Conflicted Counsel

The proceedings with Universal Ostrich Farms didn’t end when Justice Zinn ruled that the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had acted reasonably. It’s being challenged again. It’s heading back to the Federal Court of Appeal, in order to overturn that decision.

See Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the series for more information.

A Notice of Appeal has been filed with the Federal Court of Appeal, attempting to overturn the decision of Justice Zinn. It challenges a number of issues both with the ruling, and the previous representation. This isn’t to reargue the case, but to demonstrate that the findings were flawed. An initial response has been filed, although more documents are still coming in.

  • The Federal Court erred in determining the scope of the CFIA mandate
  • The Federal Court applied the test wrong in reviewing administrative decisions
  • The Federal Court erred in assessing the available evidence
  • The Federal Court misunderstood several key arguments
  • Previous counsel was ineffective at doing their job
  • Previous counsel had (presumably undisclosed) conflict of interest

Also noteworthy: there’s a Motion filed to again stay the cull order, pending resolution of the larger proceeding. At the time of writing this, the Appellants have sent in their Motion Record, but the CFIA has not yet responded.

Appeal Claims Previous Counsel Had Conflict Of Interest

13. In addition and/or in the further alternative, the Appellant submits that the order of Zinn J. be set aside given the ineffective assistance of Appellant’s counsel at the application for judicial review. The Appellant’s prior counsel’s acts and omissions at that hearing fell well outside the range of reasonable professional assistance, amounted to incompetence, and resulted in a miscarriage of justice. Notably, the Appellant’s prior counsel had a financial stake in the destruction of the Appellant’s ostriches, resulting in a blatant conflict of interest that adversely affected counsel’s representation of the Appellant’s interests.

The Notice of Appeal alleges ineffective assistance of counsel at the previous proceeding. Worse, it claims that there were a financial conflict of interests that would work against good representation. Now, it’s not spelled out what this conflict(s) was, but hopefully it will be in later documents.

Appeal Of Justice Battista’s Stay Discontinued

January 31st, 2025, Justice Battista of the Federal Court stayed the CFIA cull order, at least until the broader challenge could be heard. The Government appealed it, although it was eventually dropped. Presumably, Justice Zinn’s ruling made it moot.

The rest of the documents are linked below.

Timeline Of Major Events In Proceedings

For clarity, this hasn’t gone ahead in a linear manner. There have been multiple, overlapping proceedings along the way. Hopefully, this helps somewhat.

January 30th, 2025: Universal Ostrich Farms filed Application to challenge the CFIA “cull order” of their ostriches.

January 30th, 2025: UOF brings Motion to temporarily block culling.

January 31st, 2025: CFIA files a Responding Motion Record to the Stay sought.

January 31st, 2025: Justice Battista issues a temporary stay of the CFIA cull order.

February 7th, 2025: UOF brings a second Application, this time challenging the refusal of the CFIA to issue an exemption for their birds.

February 10th, 2025: CFIA begins Appeal against the staying of the cull order.

February 11th, 2025: UOF files Motion Record in support of request for exemption.

February 20th, 2025: UOF files that it intends to respond at the Appeal.

March 12th, 2025: Parties send their agreement as to the contents of the Appeal Book.

April 11th, 2025: Appeal Book is filed, in challenge to Justice Battista’s ruling.

May 13th, 2025: Justice Zinn denies both Applications. Those were (a) to challenge cull order, and (b) to challenge the exemption refusal.

May 23rd, 2025: A Notice of Discontinuance is filed in the Appeal against Justice Battista’s stay. Since Justice Zinn ruled on the overall case, it would be considered moot.

May 26th, 2025: Notice of Appeal is filed against Justice Zinn’s decision.

May 28th, 2025: CFIA files a Notice of Appearance.

June 2nd, 2025: UOF files its Motion Record to stay the culling.

Note: All of the dates listed can be confirmed by searching the respective cases on the Federal Court website. It keeps a detailed listing of all significant events.

Anyhow, readers will be updated with whatever twists and turns emerge. But it’s clear that these people won’t go down without a fight.

Regardless of what ultimately happens in Court, Universal Ostrich Farms is still operating what amounts to a bio-lab on their land. Or rather, the Quigleys’ land. Judging by the response that earlier articles have received, and the work of David Dickson, it seems many people didn’t know this.

COURT OF APPEAL (CHALLENGING JUSTICE ZINN’S ORDER)
(1) Ostrich APPEAL Notice Of Appeal (May, 2025)

COURT OF APPEAL (JUSTICE BATTISTA STAYING CULL ORDER):
(1) UOF Order To Stay Culling (January, 2025)
(2) UOF Notice Of Appeal (February, 2025)
(3) UOF Notice Of Appearance (February, 2025)
(4) UOF Agreement Appeal Book Contents (March, 2025)
(5) UOF Joint Appeal Book (April, 2025)
(6) UOF Consent To Extend Time (May, 2025)
(7) UOF Notice Of Discontinuance (May, 2025)

FEDERAL COURT DOCUMENTS (CFIA):
(1) Ostrich Notice Of Application Certified (January, 2025)
(2) Ostrich Notice Of Application (January, 2025)
(3) Ostrich Notice Of Motion (January, 2025)
(4) Ostrich Bilinski Affidavit (January, 2025)
(5) Ostrich Espersen Affidavit (January, 2025)
(6) Ostrich Pelech Affidavit (January, 2025)
(7) Ostrich Jones Affidavit (January, 2025)
(8) Ostrich Responding Motion Record (January, 2025)
(9) Ostrich Responding Motion Record Expedited (February, 2025)
(10) Ostrich Motion Record Ex-Parte (February, 2025)
(11) Ostrich Exemption Notice Of Application (February, 2025)
(12) Ostrich Exemption Motion Record (February, 2025)
(13) Ostrich Ruling Of Justice Zinn (May, 2025)

MONEY:
(1) https://bcrising.ca/save-our-ostriches/
(2) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ostrich-farmers-fight-to-save-herd-from-avian-flu?attribution_id=sl%3A80e09934-7413-429b-acfb-2f7015cc19d3&lang=en_CA
(3) https://www.givesendgo.com/save-our-ostriches
(4) https://www.kinexus.ca/

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Universal Ostrich Farms, Part 4: Foreclosures Worth Looking Into

The memes write themselves: the Espersens are the “undocumented owners”.

The short explanation is that they previously owned the land, but lost it when RBC foreclosed for non-payment. They’ve been trying to get at least a portion of it back, but things have gotten complicated. More on that later.

Universal Ostrich Farms has been busy fundraising as of late, under the guise of fighting a Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cull order. Among other options, the organization has GoFundMe and GiveSendGo pages up, soliciting donations. Money can also be sent via etransfer or cheque.

See Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the series for more information.

A reasonable question is this: how will donor money be spent? Keep in mind, once payment is made, it’s virtually impossible to ensure any sort of accountability for how it’s used. And there certainly are concerns here.

Looking through the British Columbia Court Services Online (BC CSO) system, there’s a lot that donors aren’t being told. For starters, the number of mortgage defaults is troubling. The topic definitely requires follow-up, but here are some notable civil cases.

Farm Foreclosure To RBC => Sold To Quigleys

November 2012, RBC filed a Petition against Karen Espersen over a default in their mortgage, located in Section 12 Township 69 of Kootenay District. They were unable to pay their bills, so the bank came for their property.

RBC refers to the property as Kootenay District. The other parties, in subsequent litigation, list it as Langille Road in Edgewood, B.C.

On October 29th, 2014, the Nelson Court certified an order which saw Catherine and Thomas (Owen) Quigley become the new owners. They paid $320,000 for it, and it was to be effective on November 8th, 2014.

Oddly, an “interested party” was seeking documents in 2023. And no, it wasn’t me.

Espersens Sue Quigleys To Regain Ownership

After the foreclosure, that wasn’t the end of it.

The Espersens made an agreement with the Quigleys. It was to see the land subdivided, and eventually, they would regain at least a piece of what they had lost. However, things didn’t work out as planned.

June 2021, the Espersens filed a Notice of Civil Claim against the Quigleys. They claim that they’ve fulfilled their obligations, and ask that a portion of the land be transferred to them. They listed in detail the expenses they had contributed overall. It’s also stated that they were paying rent on the property. From 2015 to 2018, it was $1,300 per month. Since then, the amounts were $1,200 per month.

In their Response, at paragraph 12, it’s stated that the proposed subdivision of the property was denied. Afterwards, the Espersens allegedly demanded the entire property back. In their Amended Response, their clarify that this problem with splitting the property is largely (although not entirely) why things soured.

In 2024, because so much time had lapsed, the Quigleys had to seek permission to file a Counterclaim against the Esperens. It was granted. In it, they demanded that the Court they are the sole owners. One of the problems is that the Espersens allowed the Bilinskis to move into a second house on the property, which presumably wasn’t part of the agreement.

One of the other allegations in the Counterclaim is that the ostrich farm has obstructed the ability of the Quigleys to do their own hay farming. In their Response, the Espersens invoke the Statute of Limitations, implying that it was too late anyway.

Now, the Trial was supposed to begin in April 2025. Unsurprisingly, it has been postponed until April 2026. It seems that a lot was going on with the CFIA.

Do the people donating to this farm know that they’re not the owners? Are they aware that there’s a very real possibility that they could be kicked out anyway? One has to wonder if all of this money will be used to fight the CFIA, or if some will end up going to Trial costs.

Espersen/Bilinski Have Joint Foreclosure In 2024

October 2022, Espersen and Bilinski were hit with another Petition, this time in Section 13 Township 69 of Kootenay District. The Court approved the sale in the Summer of 2024.

David Bilinski Has History Of Foreclosures

According to Court Services Online (CSO), David Michael Bilinski has been involved in dozens of lawsuits, including several other foreclosures. This doesn’t come across as being particularly responsible.

  • February 1999 in Vancouver (H990228)
  • March 2010 in Kelowna (86857)
  • May 2010 in Kamloops (44287)
  • May 2012 in Kelowna (95163)
  • January 2013 in Vernon (50615)
  • September 2013 in Vernon (51343)
  • December 2015 in Nelson (19101)
  • February 2016 in Kelowna (110087)
  • October 2022 in Nelson (22450)

Worth noting: Nelson, Kamloops, Kelowna and Vernon are all within driving distance of each other. It’s roughly the same area in B.C.

Unless this is a bizarre coincidence, and it’s some other David Bilinski, there are questions about how productively donation money will be used. And where it will be going.

Writs Against Rocky Mountain Ostrich Enterprises Ltd.

According to paragraph 6 of Karen Espersen’s Affidavit in the CFIA cases:

“In 1995 my husband and I began managing quarantines for Rocky Mountain Ostrich. Subsequent to that we operated a farm with 200 breeding ostriches. We focused on the benefits of ostrich farming, and studied the psychology and physiology of the ostrich.”

It seems the company wasn’t all that well managed, because there were 2 certificates filed in Federal Court years ago, seeking seizure of assets to pay debts.

ITA-8475-96: Writ of Fieri Facias issued to Sheriff of Alberta
ITA-12258-02: Writ of Seizure and Sale issued to Sheriff of British Columbia

For reference, a Writ of Fieri Facias is the same as an order to seize and sell a debtor’s property in order to satisfy a Court judgement for debt or damages. A request has been made to obtain the actual documents.

Note: All of the dates listed can be confirmed by searching the respective cases on the Federal Court website. It keeps a detailed listing of all significant events.

Similarly: British Columbia also has an extensive online system, although most of it is paywalled. Still, determined sleuths can find information for minimal costs.

Now, with all the attention centered around protecting ostriches, it seems that few have bothered to look into the people asking for money. All of this is public record, and easy enough to find. But for some reason, leading figures in the “alternative media” haven’t. Why aren’t: (a) Viva Frei; (b) Juno/True North; (c) Press For Truth; (d) Rebel; (e) Liberty Talk, and others, asking such questions?

If you want hard truth, contact your local Twitter troll.

Or, perhaps David Dickson.

ESPERSEN/RBC FORECLOSURE:
(1) Espersen RBC Petition (November 2012)
(2) Espersen RBC Requisition (February 2013)
(3) Espersen RBC Notice Of Hearing (February 2013)
(4) Espersen RBC Requisition By Interested Party (August 2023)

QUIGLEY/ESPERSEN COURT DOCUMENTS:
(1) Espersen Notice Of Civil Claim (November 2021)
(2) Espersen Response To Civil Claim (November 2021)
(3) Espersen Amended Response To Civil Claim (April 2023)
(4) Espersen Notice Of Application To Extend Time Counterclaim (February 2024)
(5) Espersen Order For Extension To File (March 2024)
(6) Espersen Counterclaim (March 2024)
(7) Espersen Response To Counterclaim (March 2024)
(8) Espersen Notice Of Trial (May 2024)
(9) Espersen Requisition To Adjourn (April 2025)
(10) Espersen Notice Of Trial (April 2025)
(11) Espersen Consent To New Trial Date (May 2025)

BILINSKI/ESPERSEN/0752063 B.C. LTD FORECLOSURE:
(1) Espersen 0752063 Petition October 2022
(2) Espersen 0752063 Consent Order For Foreclosure (June 2023)
(3) Espersen 0752063 Notice Of Application (November 2023)
(4) Espersen 0752063 Order (November 2023)
(5) Espersen 0752063 Notice Of Application (July 2024)
(6) Espersen 0752063 Application Response (August 2024)
(7) Espersen 0752063 Requisition August 2024
(8) Espersen 0752063 Requisition GENERAL August 2024

FEDERAL COURT WRITS: $61,134 in 1996 and $24,310 in 2002
(1) Rocky Mountain Ostrich AB Certificate (1996)
(2) Rocky Mountain Ostrich AB Request (1996)
(3) Rocky Mountain Ostrich AB Writ of Fieri Facias (1996)
(4) Rocky Mountain Ostrich BC Certificate (2002)
(5) Rocky Mountain Ostrich BC Requisition (2002)
(6) Rocky Mountain Ostrich BC Writ Of Seizure And Sale (2002)

FEDERAL COURT DOCUMENTS (CFIA):
(1) Ostrich Notice Of Application Certified (January, 2025)
(2) Ostrich Notice Of Application (January, 2025)
(3) Ostrich Notice Of Motion (January, 2025)
(4) Ostrich Bilinski Affidavit (January, 2025)
(5) Ostrich Espersen Affidavit (January, 2025)
(6) Ostrich Pelech Affidavit (January, 2025)
(7) Ostrich Jones Affidavit (January, 2025)
(8) Ostrich Responding Motion Record (January, 2025)
(9) Ostrich Responding Motion Record Expedited (February, 2025)
(10) Ostrich Motion Record Ex-Parte (February, 2025)
(11) Ostrich Exemption Notice Of Application (February, 2025)
(12) Ostrich Exemption Motion Record (February, 2025)
(13) Ostrich Ruling Of Justice Zinn (May, 2025)

MONEY:
(1) https://bcrising.ca/save-our-ostriches/
(2) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ostrich-farmers-fight-to-save-herd-from-avian-flu?attribution_id=sl%3A80e09934-7413-429b-acfb-2f7015cc19d3&lang=en_CA
(3) https://www.givesendgo.com/save-our-ostriches
(4) https://www.kinexus.ca/

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Universal Ostrich Farms, Part 3: The Bilinski Affidavit, And Immune Biosolutions

Universal Ostrich Farms (UOF), in British Columbia, has been in the alternative media a lot lately. Specifically, the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered about 400 birds to be killed after some supposedly tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

UOF filed an Application in Federal Court to challenge the order. A second Application was filed challenging the refusal to grant any sort of exemption. To date, both cases have been dismissed. Barring a successful Appeal, the culling is expected to go ahead.

See Parts 1 and 2 in the Universal Ostrich Farms series for more information.

The first two pieces have interestingly caused quite the backlash. The bulk of it is simply reading from various Court documents, including Affidavits. What people don’t seem to grasp is that when someone asks for money, it becomes public interest litigation. The have GiveSendGo and GoFundMe pages up, among other avenues, soliciting donations.

As such, their case is open to scrutiny, or at least it should be.

Now, let’s see what David Bilinski has to say.

From The Affidavit Of David Bilinski

13. One of the problems we encountered though was there was no good breeding records for ostriches. To starts a recording program, I initiated a DNA fingerprinting program for ostriches in Canada. I worked wit Dr. Kim Cheung, a director of the Avian Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, to develop this program.

14. Unfortunately, shortly after starting the program, the market for breeding ostrich collapsed, and the program was suspended.

19. The antibodies ostriches produce in response to an infection can last several years, and are found in extremely high concentrations in the yolks of their eggs. These antibodies can be used to develop neutralization anitbodies against, among other things, the H5N1 virus. I have attached as Exhibit “B” a true copy of the study published by Dr. Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Graduate School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University.

34. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, it essentially shut down our business. Processing plants closed, breeder sales plummeted, and farms downsized.

35. We then became familiar with the work of Dr. Tsukamoto, who was studing the IgY Immune Globin Yolk) antibodies in ostrich eggs.

36. Based on Dr. Tsukamoto’s and others’ research, we learned that ostrich eggs are uniquely situated for developing antibodies because of the size of the yolk, and the concentration of the antibodies produced.

39. As a result, we began working with [Immune] Biosolutions Inc. (“Biosolutions”) in Quebec, which was working on protocols to produce antibodies for Covid-19, due to a $13,000,000 grant from the Government of Canada.

40. In or around 2021, Biosolutions provided antigens to the UOF, which then allowed us to produce antibodies using the ostrich eggs.

42. Then, in about 2022, UOF began a venture with Struthio BioScience Inc. (“Struthio”) and entered into a contract wherein UOF must provide Struthio with ostrich eggs, failing which UOF would be in breach of contract.

43. In summary, since 2020 UOF has been entirely dedicated to the production of antibody IgY.

44. To be clear, UOF is not a commercial poultry facility, and it does not produce any ostrich meat or eggs for human consumption.

It would be nice to know more about this DNA fingerprinting program, even if it was ultimately cancelled. Perhaps a later piece can cover that.

Bilinski tries to portray to the Court there being a “contract” between Universal Ostrich Farms and Struthio BioScience Inc. This is apparently to fulfill business obligations. However, Karen Espersen is both the owner (and president) of UOF, and a co-owner of Struthio. This connection is obvious when looking at her LinkedIn page, but isn’t clear in the Court documents.

Defenders of the farm have pointed to the fact that Immune Biosolutions is the one that got the contract from the ISED, not the farm. While true, it misses the point. Espersen and Bilinski are working with them, and using their antigens, giving it to the ostriches, and creating antibodies in return.

In turn, it then raises all kinds of questions as to what exactly these birds are infected with, and what the risks are to humans. This apparently isn’t explained in any Affidavit.

Despite howls about “protecting the food supply”, Bilinski’s Affidavit makes it clear that these animals aren’t intended for any sort of human consumption. This ostrich farm really is an open-air biolab.

The irony also seems lost on these litigants. They’re challenging the findings that some of the birds are infected with a virus, claiming that these tests are unreliable. Fair enough. But then, the birds are used to generate antibodies to fight another virus. In fact, they stand to make a fortune if they’re able to sell their work.

Oh well. Live by the shady “science”, die by the shady “science”.

Now, let’s find out a little more about their partner.

Taxpayer Money Funneled Through ISED For Grants

The Government of Canada, or more specifically, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, announced a few years ago various projects would be funded. Taxpayers would foot a $2.3 billion bill for 41 different grants, all across the country.

Immune Biosolutions, of Sherbrooke, Quebec, was just one company.

March 16, 2021: Up to $13.44 million to help through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to develop and advance its therapeutic candidate from pre-clinical studies up to Phase II clinical trials.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe groups it partners with as “subcontractors”.

Who Is Immune Biosolutions?

A partnership in antibody development
Our antibody discovery platform is available mainly to pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to develop custom novel antibodies against targets of interest with unmet needs. Whether the desired antibody is for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, our avian platform opens up the accessibility to new antibody paratopes of great affinity against highly conserved mammal proteins or molecules.

Immune Biosolutions is a Quebec company that “partners” with other people or companies in their antibody development. This is the research and development end, while the others are the ones who receive and do the live testing.

Immunization:

  • Spatial Peptide design and synthesis for antigen presentation
  • Chicken Immunization by vaccination (Peptides, Spatial Peptides, Proteins, Nucleic Acids, Cells, other molecules)
  • Chicken Immunization by transcutaneous electroporation (Protein expression DNA plasmid)

Screening:

  • Phage-Display Antibody Candidate Screening:
  • Chicken Single B Cell Antibody Candidate Screening
  • Avian Antibody Sequence Determination
  • Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Antibody Library Analysis

Engineering and Production:

  • Avian Antibody Optimization & Humanization
  • Bi-Specific and Multi-Specific Antibody Engineering
  • Antibody Production & Purification
  • Stable Cell Line Development

Validation (Antibody Validation):

  • Affinity Assays
  • Functional Assays
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Biolayer Interferometry
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance
  • Static Light Scattering/Dynamic Light Scattering

Immune Biosolutions Has Lobbying Registry Profile

Application Form for COVID-19 Advancement of Vaccines and Therapeutics (SIF Program) Immune Biosolutions and collaborators are developing an immunotherapy based on newly identified antibodies to treat and possibly prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). This new accelerated discovery process, aiming at providing Canadians with a treatment for COVID-19 discovered and bio-manufactured in Canada, will be applied to future infections and other diseases, such as cancer.

It shouldn’t really surprise anyone that this company is set up to lobby members of the Federal Government for funding. Their name wasn’t picked randomly.

SOURCE OF FUNDING DATE AMOUNT
Canexport April, 2020 $22,754.38
Canexport April, 2021 $22,754.38
Canexport April, 2023 $22,754.38
Canexport April, 2024 $27,500.00
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada April, 2023 $5,496,072.00
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada April, 2024 $2,082,706.00
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada April, 2024 $5,496,072.00
National Research Council April, 2020 $33,108.69
National Research Council April, 2021 $33,108.69
National Research Council April, 2023 $33,108.69
National Research Council April, 2023 $212,219.00
National Research Council April, 2024 $212,219.00
National Research Council April, 2024 $222,880.00
SIF – Strategic Innovation Fund April, 2024 $5,496,072.00

Note: while there appear to be duplicate entries, the notes from the Lobbying Registry suggest that a few agencies made multiple payments in the same fiscal year.

Immune Biosolutions Received Wage Subsidies

As an aside, Immune Biosolutions received CEWS (the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy) in 2020/2021. In fairness though, it doesn’t specify the amounts.

Now, there has been a lot of noise about how it was Immune Biosolutions that got the Government grant, not Universal Ostrich Farms itself. This misses the point. While the tech company may have gotten it directly, what was UOF using to pay its bills in the meantime?

2 scenarios are possible. Either: (a) UOF got a cut of the money directly from IBio, or; (b) UOF would make money from selling the research, thus profiting from taxpayer subsidies. While the grant went to the firm, this seems to be a distinction without a difference.

People need to be asking the hard questions.

(1) https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/biomanufacturing/en/biomanufacturing-projects-underway
(2) https://immunebiosolutions.com/en
(3) https://immunebiosolutions.com/en/partnerships/
(4) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=368226&regId=914362#regStart
(5) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/habs/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch
(6) https://unlockalberta.substack.com/p/christine-massey-david-dickson-pat

FEDERAL COURT DOCUMENTS:
(1) Ostrich Notice Of Application Certified (January, 2025)
(2) Ostrich Notice Of Application (January, 2025)
(3) Ostrich Notice Of Motion (January, 2025)
(4) Ostrich Bilinski Affidavit (January, 2025)
(5) Ostrich Espersen Affidavit (January, 2025)
(6) Ostrich Pelech Affidavit (January, 2025)
(7) Ostrich Jones Affidavit (January, 2025)
(8) Ostrich Responding Motion Record (January, 2025)
(9) Ostrich Responding Motion Record Expedited (February, 2025)
(10) Ostrich Motion Record Ex-Parte (February, 2025)
(11) Ostrich Exemption Notice Of Application (February, 2025)
(12) Ostrich Exemption Motion Record (February, 2025)
(13) Ostrich Ruling Of Justice Zinn (May, 2025)

MONEY:
(1) https://bcrising.ca/save-our-ostriches/
(2) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ostrich-farmers-fight-to-save-herd-from-avian-flu?attribution_id=sl%3A80e09934-7413-429b-acfb-2f7015cc19d3&lang=en_CA
(3) https://www.givesendgo.com/save-our-ostriches
(4) https://www.kinexus.ca/

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