The B.C. government has sanctioned a Chilliwack slaughterhouse at the centre of anonymous video footage that one animal welfare group claimed showed potentially “illegal behaviour.”
Roughly 850 video files — allegedly leaked to Animal Justice and later passed on to authorities — appeared to show workers at Johnston’s Packers Inc. illegally mutilating and injuring still conscious pigs on their way to be slaughtered, claimed a legal complaint filed by the advocacy group on Dec. 3, 2024.
The footage was forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA), and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), who at the time, all confirmed they had launched investigations into the whistleblower footage.
The BC SPCA has yet to release the results of its investigation. But on Monday, assistant deputy minister of agriculture Michelle Koski sent a letter to Animal Justice telling the group that it had finished interviewing government inspectors, and reviewing the footage and the company’s inspection reports.
“The footage primarily depicts standard practices in a busy hog processing facility,” wrote Koski in the letter seen by BIV. “However, we did identify some areas of concern.”
Slaughterhouse faces prohibition notice, warning letter and 'increased oversight'
Claimed to be shot over the summer of 2024, the leaked video shows pigs struggling to escape a chute as workers prod them with stun devices. On the killing floor, workers appear to botch attempts to stun the pigs and slit their throats multiple times while still conscious.
Johnston’s Packers has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
In her letter, Koski said the ministry had issued a “prohibition notice” to the company regarding its use of electric prods and handling of animals.
The notice was issued under a section of the Food Safety Act that allows the application of sanctions for unsanitary and unfit slaughtering practices. The assistant deputy minister did not elaborate on what the prohibition notice requires of Johnston’s Packers.
“Johnston Packers is required to take corrective actions, including adjusting production practices, occupational health and safety, and worker training,” said a ministry spokesperson in an email.
The spokesperson said the ministry is sending one of its veterinarians to visit the plant and conduct an “in-depth review of their practices.”
Koski's letter added that the slaughterhouse must provide additional training in stunning techniques, and that inspectors with B.C.’s Meat Inspection Program will be “increasing oversight.”
The ministry did not deem any illegal behaviour had occurred at the facility.
Given the video evidence and Johnston’s clean history of compliance, Koski wrote the ministry had issued a warning letter to the slaughterhouse.
The warning applies to a section of B.C.’s Meat Inspection Regulation that says an abattoir must adhere to the humane treatment of animals before they are slaughtered.
Inspectors missed abuse, says group
Lawyer and Animal Justice executive director Camille Labchuck said the warning letter represents a failure to catch bad practices. Inspectors are required to be present at abattoirs every day of the slaughtering process. But Labchuck said their role is largely to ensure carcasses show no signs of disease.
“It's clear that their inspectors were there every single day and missed all this [alleged] abuse,” she said. “How would they have a past history of compliance issues if their inspectors aren’t doing their job?”
Labchuck, whose group has advocated for cameras to be installed at slaughterhouses, says the whole experience has suggested there remains a lack of transparency in B.C.’s meat processing industry.
“The fact that the warning letter and the prohibition notice only happened because of undercover footage when there are meat inspection employees in the plant every day who didn't detect this … is pretty troubling,” said the lawyer.
“I think it suggests that the province has a major problem with oversight.”
In its email to BIV, the ministry statement said it is “re-focusing the role of inspectors” at all slaughter facilities. Their new mandate, said the ministry — focus on both food safety and the humane treatment of animals.
