愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Canadian officials warn: Turkeys at U.S. border might be turned back

From left: Frozen turkeys sit in a refrigerated case inside a grocery store (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) and a truck crosses the Bluewater Bridge border crossing between Sarnia, Ont., and Port Huron, Michigan (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins)

From left: Frozen turkeys sit in a refrigerated case inside a grocery store (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) and a truck crosses the Bluewater Bridge border crossing between Sarnia, Ont., and Port Huron, Michigan (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins)
Share

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is advising Canadians not to go shopping for cross-border turkey deals this year due to avian influenza outbreaks.

In a press release issued Thursday, said several states and provinces have outbreaks of bird flu or H5N1, a virus that spreads quickly among chickens, ducks, quail and other fowl, through close contact with infected birds or their excrement. It is almost always lethal for animals, but it is rare for humans to contract the virus.

Alberta farmers have seen a recent rise in the number of flu cases in their flocks, with the province reporting 1.1 million birds impacted as of Sept. 27. Across the U.S, have been affected.

"Due to the presence highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the CFIA has restricted the importation of raw poultry and poultry products into Canada from states currently experiencing outbreaks," the release said.

Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho and Washington have declared avian flu outbreaks.

If a turkey or poultry product is purchased in a state without an outbreak, a border control agent will need to see a receipt stating there is not an outbreak, the CFIA says.

"Those without proper documentation will have to surrender their poultry to Canada Border Services Officers for disposal, or return the item to the grocery store," CFIA said in the release.

As of Sept. 19, regardless of outbreak status, labelled, retail-packaged and fully cooked poultry products are allowed across the Canada-U.S border.

The release from the CFIA comes as Canadians prepare for a holiday weekend amid crippling inflation that has seen the cost of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner rise significantly this year.

According to data compiled by , Thanksgiving dinner staples have increased by about 26 per cent compared to March 2020, and 22 per cent compared to this time last year.

Sylvain Charlebois, who teaches food policy at the university and is director of the lab, explained the avian outbreak has little to do with turkey prices.

"Most of the turkeys that will be bought this week are already harvested," Charlebois told CTVNews.ca on Monday.

Shoppers in Canada have seen the per-kilogram price of turkey increase by an average of 15 per cent since last year, and 22 per cent since March 2020, according to a September 2022 report from Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

In Windsor, Ont., a five- to seven-kilogram frozen whole Canadian turkey costs $22 at Walmart. Just across the border in a Detroit, Mich., Walmart, a 2.4 to 3.8-kilogram whole turkey breast costs USD $16.08 (CAD $22.03).

While Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day on Monday, Oct. 10, the U.S. holiday is not until Nov. 24, making price-comparisons a challenge right now.   

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars

Israel pounded Iran with a series of airstrikes early Saturday, saying it was targeting military targets in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier this month. Explosions could be heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, though there was no immediate information on damage or casualties.

Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Stay Connected