Bill C-293
An Act respecting pandemic prevention and preparedness.
Bill C-293 is a Bill that is currently before the Canadian Senate. Its purpose is to prevent the risk of and prepare for future pandemics and to promote transparency and accountability in relation to the Government of Canada’s efforts to do so.
While these are admirable goals, Birch Hills County has some alarming concerns over some of the contents of this Bill and how it may negatively affect Animal Agriculture in Canada. Birch Hills County is an Agricultural County that includes a strong animal agriculture sector. Animal agriculture is already intensively regulated and monitored to prevent the introduction and spread of disease including zoonotic diseases.
We are concerned that the vagueness of this Bill in regard to animal agriculture and the promotion of alternative proteins will allow for decision-making and regulations that put this industry at risk without proper scientific scrutiny.
Birch Hills County has drafted a letter to the senators expressing our concern and encourage our ratepayers to also reach out to the Senate if they have any concerns. For more information on this Bill, please visit our website at www.birchhillscounty.com. We have included a link to the proposed Bill and a fillable PDF letter for your convenience. Should the included letter not address your concerns, we encourage our producers to draft their own letters expressing any concerns that they may have.