Region: Canada

Groundbreaking regulations would also ban imports of certain hunting trophies

Humane Society International / Canada

Waldo Swiegers/AP Images for HSI

MONTREAL—Humane Society International/Canada applauds Environment Canada for moving another step forward in closing the Canadian market to elephant ivory and rhino horn trade. Proposed regulations which would prohibit elephant ivory and rhino horn trade in Canada, along with imports of hunting trophies made from these parts, have been published in Gazette I. HSI/Canada encourages all Canadians to sign our letter in support of the measures, which will be submitted to government during the 30-day public consultation.  

Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager, Humane Society International/Canada, stated: 

“Elephants and rhinoceros could be extinct within our lifetimes if urgent action is not taken to save them. We commend the Canadian government for showing global leadership in protecting these iconic species for future generations. Canadians have made it clear that there is no place for elephant ivory and rhino horn trade, nor hunting trophies from these species, in our country. HSI/Canada strongly supports the regulations as they are published in Gazette I, which would become the global standard for elephant and rhino protection in non-range states.” 

The proposed regulations follow years of campaigning by HSI/Canada and our coalition partners, along with the support of scientists, public figures and hundreds of thousands of concerned individuals. In its 2021 mandate letter, the federal government responded with a commitment to “curb illegal wildlife trade and end elephant and rhinoceros tusk trade in Canada.” 

Critically, the regulation aligns with the directives of the foremost elephant and rhino conservation experts and stakeholders: The African Elephant Coalition (representing 78% of African countries holding elephants), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have all called for the closure of domestic ivory markets. 

According to a 2020 poll by Insights West, 94% of Canadians support an elephant ivory trade ban. A public petition calling for a Canadian ban on elephant ivory trade has amassed over 700,000 signatures.  

Publication in Gazette I, the government of Canada’s newspaper, is one of the final stages in creating new regulations. Once proposed regulations are published in Gazette I, they are subject to a consultation and amended based on feedback, if necessary, then published in Gazette II as official regulations. 

Quick Facts:  

  • As many as 25,000 elephants and 1,300 rhinos die at the hands of poachers in Africa every year. 
  • In March 2021, the IUCN updated its Red List of Threatened Species and declared the African forest elephant to be Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant to be Endangered. Black rhinos, found in Africa, are classified as Critically Endangered.  
  • Canada’s top trading partners, including the United States, China and the United Kingdom have closed their elephant ivory markets in response to declining elephant populations.
  • In addition to elephant ivory trade, Canada allows the import of elephant tusks, rhino horns, and parts from trophy hunts. According to CITES data, over 450 African elephant tusks, 16 rhino horns, and an additional 81 elephant trophies and 44 rhino trophies were legally imported into Canada from 2010-2021. 
  • In June of 2021, an open letter calling for an end to elephant ivory trade in Canada was signed by notable Canadians including Bryan Adams, Robert Bateman and David Suzuki.
  • The proposed regulations follow a public opinion consultation conducted by Environment Climate Change Canada in the summer of 2021, in which Canadians and people from around the world overwhelmingly voiced their support for federal action to end Canada’s role in the elephant ivory trade.  

ENDS

Media contact: Michael Bernard: 438-873-5769; mbernard@hsi.org

Minister Duclos joins animal protection coalition and cosmetics industry in celebrating passage of landmark legislation

Humane Society International / Canada

Michael Kloth/Alamy

OTTAWA, Ontario―Cosmetics animal testing and trade will officially be banned in Canada, after the Canadian government today passed measures through the Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47). In addition to banning cosmetics animal testing, the amendments will also prohibit selling cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data to establish the product’s safety, and false or misleading labelling pertaining to the testing of cosmetics on animals.

Animal protection advocates Humane Society International/Canada, Animal Alliance Canada and Cruelty Free International, together with Cosmetics Alliance Canada, Lush Cosmetics, and The Body Shop, have been working closely with the Canadian government for several years to advance workable legislation to ban cosmetics animal testing in Canada. The coalition is thrilled that Canada will now join over 40 jurisdictions and major markets that have already passed laws to end or limit cosmetics animal testing and/or sales.

The coalition joined the Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in issuing the following statements:

Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, Government of Canada, said: “Testing cosmetics on animals is both cruel and unnecessary. That is why we are proud to move forward on our promise to ban cosmetic animal testing and trade. Protecting animals now and in the future is something many Canadians have been advocating for and now, we can all be assured that cosmetics in Canada are cruelty-free, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to improve animal welfare. ”

Michael Bernard, deputy director, Humane Society International/Canada, said: “With the passage of these historic measures to ban cosmetics animal testing and trade, Canada is getting a cruelty-free makeover. We are so thrilled that our government has listened to the millions of Canadians who want the products they buy to be cruelty-free. This legislation truly shows the great things that can happen when government, industry, the non-profit sector and the public work together to create a better future. Canadian consumers can finally rest assured that the cosmetics they purchase have not come as a result of animal suffering—and that is something we can all feel good about.”

Darren Praznik, president and CEO of Cosmetics Alliance Canada, said: “Industry and animal protection advocates have worked together over the last several years to advance a cosmetics animal testing ban in Canada. Since this issue was first raised in Parliament through a Private Member’s Bill in the Senate in 2015, our group has met frequently to build a collaborative relationship and to align on the principles with Health Canada while ensuring the ban works within the Canadian regulatory framework. We are very pleased to see the government pass this long overdue legislation.”

Liz White, director, Animal Alliance of Canada, said: “Animal Alliance supporters thank Minister Duclos and Health Canada staff for making the cosmetics animal testing ban a reality. Canada will join the growing number of countries worldwide that have ended such practices and the government will fulfill its promise to introduce legislation to end cosmetics testing on animals as soon as 2023.”

Monica Engebretson, head of public affairs North America, Cruelty Free International, said: “Cruelty Free International applauds the Canadian Government for taking action to fulfil the wishes of the vast majority of Canadian citizens who supported a ban on animal testing for cosmetics. This has been a unifying issue that has earned cross-party support in Canada and will match the progress we are seeing around the world as consumers, companies, regulators and advocates come together to achieve a common goal of ensuring that animals won’t suffer for the sake of cosmetics anywhere.”

Brandi Halls, chief ethics officer, Lush Cosmetics North America, said: “As a company that has been campaigning to bring animal testing for cosmetics to an end since our inception over 25 years ago, today we join all of the stakeholders in celebrating this important moment for the global movement. By heeding the call of people across Canada, Minister Duclos and Health Canada are putting Canada on the right side of history by banning this outdated practice. We’re proud to have partnered with Humane Society International for over a decade and through customer responses to our in-shop campaigning, we know that the voice of the majority has been heard.”

Hilary Lloyd, vice president of marketing and corporate responsibility, The Body Shop North America, said: “Since the launch of The Body Shop’s first against animal testing initiative in 1989 and our campaigns that have followed, we’re thrilled to finally see this effort materialize in Canada. We applaud Minister Duclos and Health Canada for bringing forth this legislation and thank all who have made this change possible, notably our partners at Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop’s passionate retail teams and activist customers, who delivered over 625,000 signatures to Parliament Hill in 2018 calling for this change.”

END

Media contacts:

  • Michael Bernard, HSI/Canada, deputy director, mbernard@hsi.org
  • Susan Nieuwhof, Cosmetics Alliance Canada, public policy and communications, snieuwhof@cosmeticsalliance.ca

Humane Society International/Canada applauds the passage of historic measures in Bill S-5 to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act

Humane Society International / Canada

Leila Coker/iStock.com

OTTAWA—Humane Society International/Canada is celebrating the passage of amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, aimed at phasing out the use of animals for chemical toxicity testing in Canada. The measures were included in Bill S-5, to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which passed third and final reading in the Senate today and will now receive Royal Assent.

Shaarika Sarasija, senior strategist, research and regulatory science for HSI/Canada, stated: “We are happy to see the passage of Bill S-5 with provisions to phase out chemical testing using animals. A concerted move away from animal-based toxicity tests could spare tens of thousands of animals each year and advance public health and environmental protection with more advanced and relevant tests for the benefit of all Canadians.”

Conventional toxicity testing involves poisoning rats, mice, rabbits, fish, birds and other animals with chemicals via force-feeding, inhalation or skin absorption for days, months or even years without pain relief, to see the extent to which it disrupts normal bodily functions. According to the Canadian Council on Animal Care, half of the more than 150,000 animals used for regulatory testing in Canada in 2021 experienced anywhere from “moderate to severe distress” to “severe pain near, at or beyond the pain tolerance threshold.” Many of these tests were developed decades ago and represent outdated science that provides incomplete or inconclusive data at best, while inflicting needless animal suffering.

Today’s toolbox of non-animal methods includes an array of sophisticated molecular biology tests that are more time and cost efficient and human relevant. The amendments in Bill S-5 promote their use, paving the way to reducing and ultimately eliminating animal suffering in chemical toxicity testing through technological progress. The new measures include:

  • Requiring new approach testing methods that do not use animals where scientifically justified and “practicable.”
  • Encouraging the timely development and implementation of alternative methods to animal testing.
  • Requiring the government to publish a plan, within two years, detailing steps to achieve these goals.

HSI/Canada is committed to working alongside the Government of Canada and other stakeholders to ensure that all use of animals in toxicity testing—including for pesticides, food and other regulated products—is ultimately relegated to the history books. Furthermore, HSI/Canada will work with these stakeholders to ensure that faster, more effective and relevant new approach methods that do not involve animals are developed and implemented within the Liberal government’s stated timeline of ending all toxicity animal testing by 2035.

ENDS

Media contact: Michael Bernard, deputy director for HSI/Canada: 438-873-5769; mbernard@hsi.org

Animal protection organizations and cosmetics industry applaud tabling of landmark legislation

Humane Society International / Canada

mustafagull/iStock.com

*Editor’s note: This text has been updated to reflect that the Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47) has now officially been tabled in Canadian Parliament.

OTTAWA, Ontario—The Canadian government has today tabled measures through the Budget Implementation Act that would prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in Canada. The amendments would also prohibit selling cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data to establish the product’s safety and false or misleading labelling pertaining to the testing of cosmetics on animals.

Animal protection advocates Humane Society International/Canada, Animal Alliance Canada and Cruelty Free International, along with Cosmetics Alliance Canada, Lush Cosmetics and The Body Shop have been working closely with the Canadian government for several years to advance the legislation and issued the following statements:

Michael Bernard, deputy director, Humane Society International/Canada, said: “A decade of campaigning by Humane Society International/Canada and our partners is giving the Canadian beauty sector a cruelty-free makeover. We have been honoured to work closely with the Canadian government and all stakeholders to advance these measures over the years, and we are delighted to see Canada introduce this historic legislation to ban cosmetics animal testing and trade. When this bill becomes law, Canadian consumers can be assured that the cosmetics they purchase have not come as a result of animal suffering—and that is something we can all feel good about.”

Darren Praznik, president and CEO of Cosmetics Alliance Canada, said: “Industry and animal protection advocates have worked together over the last several years to advance a cosmetics animal testing ban in Canada. Since this issue was first raised in Parliament through a Private Member’s Bill in the Senate in 2015, our group has met frequently to build a collaborative relationship and to align on the principles with Health Canada while ensuring the ban works within the Canadian regulatory framework. We are very pleased to see the government bring forward this long overdue legislation.”

Liz White, director, Animal Alliance of Canada, said: “Animal Alliance supporters thank Minister Duclos and Health Canada staff for making the cosmetic animal testing ban a reality. Canada will join the growing number of countries worldwide that have ended such practices and the government will fulfill its promise to introduce legislation to end cosmetic testing on animals as soon as 2023.”

Monica Engebretson, head of public affairs North America, Cruelty Free International, said: “Cruelty Free International applauds this renewed effort to bring an end to animal testing for cosmetics across Canada. This is a unifying issue that has earned cross-party support in Canada and will match the progress we are seeing around the world as consumers, companies, regulators, and advocates come together to achieve a common goal of ensuring that animals won’t suffer for the sake of cosmetics anywhere.”

Brandi Halls, chief ethics officer, Lush Cosmetics North America, said: “As a company who has been campaigning to bring animal testing for cosmetics to an end since our inception over 25 years ago, today we join animal rights campaigners and animal lovers to celebrate this important moment for the global movement. By heeding the call of people across Canada, Minister Duclos and Health Canada are putting Canada on the right side of history ending this ineffective, inhumane and outdated practice. We’re proud to have partnered with HSI for over a decade and through customer responses to our in-shop campaigning, we know that the voice of the majority has been heard.”

Hilary Lloyd, VP of marketing and corporate responsibility, The Body Shop North America, said: “The Body Shop applauds Minister Duclos and Health Canada for their work in bringing forth this legislation. As a leader in cruelty-free beauty, we’re celebrating this milestone and reflecting on the passionate hard work from our retail teams and activist customers that delivered over 625,000 signatures to Parliament Hill in 2018 asking to end cosmetic animal testing. An important reminder that businesses have a responsibility in being a force for good. We encourage other governments around the world to follow suit.”

ENDS

Media contacts:

Animal protection organizations and cosmetics industry urge Canadian government to table legislation

Humane Society International / Canada

Meredith Lee/HSUS

OTTAWA—Today, the Canadian government introduced its 2023 federal budget, which confirmed its commitment to ban cosmetics animal testing and trade. Animal protection advocates Humane Society International/Canada, Animal Alliance Canada and Cruelty Free International, along with Cosmetics Alliance Canada, Lush Cosmetics and The Body Shop, have been working closely with the Canadian government for several years on an initiative to advance legislation banning cosmetics animal testing in Canada.

The group of stakeholders released the following statement in response to today’s budget announcement:

“We are so pleased to see the inclusion of the commitment to ban cosmetics animal testing and trade in the federal budget. This suggests a landmark opportunity for the Canadian government to ban cosmetics animal testing and trade in the pending budget implementation bill. We strongly encourage the Canadian government to fulfill its mandate by introducing this legislation at the earliest opportunity and position Canada as a global leader in promoting alternatives to animal testing,” said the group of allied stakeholders.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Artists, scientists, First Nations, animal protection and conservation groups urge province to end senseless killing of wildlife

Humane Society International / Canada

WildMedia/Alamy Stock

VICTORIA, Canada—A broad coalition of non-government organizations, scientists, environmentalists, eco-tourism operators and notable British Columbians, including Robert Bateman, have signed an open letter calling on the British Columbia government to end wildlife killing contests in the province once and for all. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs has signed the open letter and also submitted a separate letter urging the BC government to end these contests.

Wildlife killing contests take place legally across British Columbia every year. During these contests, animals are killed to accumulate points towards winning cash and/or prizes. Animals commonly targeted in these contests include coyotes, wolves, bears, cougars, bobcats and raccoons. In 2019, a coalition led by non-governmental organizations called on the BC government to end wildlife killing contests, resulting in media backlash and public outcry against these contests. Unfortunately, in absence of the provincial government taking concrete actions to prohibit wildlife killing contests, they have merely been driven underground and out of the public eye.

Kelly Butler, the wildlife campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada, stated: “The science is clear, wildlife killing contests have no place in wildlife management. These contests exploit misunderstanding and fear surrounding species like wolves and coyotes and are a transparent means to kill animals for fun. We are calling on the government to take action to protect BC’s wildlife and join the growing number of jurisdictions that are prohibiting these cruel contests.”

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of UBCIC, stated: “Killing contests betray the general public into thinking that a problem is being solved, but the problem is not on the wildlife management, the real problem is the degradation of land, forests and waterways. Animals balance themselves in the proper conditions, and human intervention and industry has not allowed for that to occur. Instead, we blame one animal when the real ‘animal’ is us.”

Robert Bateman, Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia, renowned artist and naturalist, stated: “I am shocked that BC continues to allow wildlife killing contests. These cruel and unscientific events encourage and normalize needless animal suffering, and do not represent the values held by the overwhelming majority of British Columbians. Killing of superior members of a species degrades the gene pool.”

The concern relating to these contests extends beyond conservationists and environmentalists; several eco-tourism operators signed on to the open letter as well.

Eric Boyum, owner/operator of Ocean Adventures Charter Co., stated: “While the BC Ministry of Tourism’s partner Destination BC uses slogans like ‘BC, Where Nature is Nurtured’, nothing could be further from the truth. Allowing wildlife killing contests demonstrates a very real lack of care for sentient animals that are not only vital to the biodiversity of their ecosystems, but also vital to the image and integrity of tourism in BC. The cruelty exhibited by those that kill these beautiful animals for kicks, is something we should all be deeply concerned about and that we should all be committed to ending.”

Across the United States, a growing number of states are outlawing wildlife killing contests in order to protect wildlife and uphold the values of their citizens. Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington have now outlawed killing contests for coyotes, foxes, bobcats and other species, and several other states are considering similar action. In Canada, only Ontario has an applicable law prohibiting hunting for “gain or the expectation of gain.”

The open letter calls on the Ministry of Forests to prohibit wildlife killing contests and is signed by:

  • Adventuress Sea Kayaking
  • Animal Alliance of Canada
  • Animal Justice
  • Animal Protection Party of Canada
  • Animals Asia Foundation
  • BC Nature
  • BC SPCA
  • Bears Matter
  • Clayoquot Action
  • Coyote Watch Canada
  • Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research
  • EXPOSED Wildlife Conservancy
  • Hope Mountain Black Bear Committee
  • Humane Society International/Canada
  • International Animal Rescue
  • John E. Marriott (Wildlife Photographer)
  • National Wolfwatcher Coalition
  • North Shore Black Bear Society
  • Ocean Adventures Charter Co.,
  • Ocean Light Adventures
  • Pacific Wild Alliance
  • Project Coyote
  • Robert Bateman (Artist)
  • Sierra Club BC
  • Spirit Bear Lodge
  • Susan Musgrave (Poet)
  • Takaya Legacy Project
  • The Fur-Bearers
  • The Kerulos Center for Nonviolence
  • The Union of BC Indian Chiefs
  • Tourists Against Trophy Hunting
  • Vancouver Humane Society
  • Wilderness Committee
  • Wolf Awareness
  • Zoocheck Inc.
  • Breder Law, Animal Lawyers
  • In Defense of Animals

ENDS

Media Contact: Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager: 438-882-7238; kbutler@hsi.org

Sodexo Canada has created the new, 100% plant-based eatery in collaboration with HSI/Canada’s Forward Food program, as part of Sodexo’s plant-based pledge

Humane Society International / Canada

MONTREAL—On this World Vegan Day, Sodexo Canada and Humane Society International/Canada are excited to announce another milestone in their national collaboration: the launch of Verde, a 100% plant-based dining concept. The first ever Verde location has just opened at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and is being operated by Sodexo Canada.  

“Our new Verde offer is a game changer in the food service industry where Sodexo Canada continues to commit itself to the well-being of its students and the planet through an innovative plant-based, plant-forward concept,” said Martin Lapointe, senior vice president of operations for Sodexo Campus. 

“We’re very excited for the opportunity to grow our relationship with HSI by opening the first Verde location in Canada,” said Kyle Mason, senior manager culinary development for Sodexo Canada. “The increased demand for plant-based food has been dramatic over the past few years and HSI has supported us through this exciting transition. The training sessions have not only provided our chefs with the skills to add more plant-based items on their menu, but they’ve also become a networking opportunity where our chefs can connect and collaborate on ways to further increase the number of plant-based items on their menu.” 

The introduction of Verde is part of Sodexo’s nationwide commitment to transition 20% of its protein purchases across Canada to plant-based by Dec. 31, 2024—a pledge made in conjunction with HSI/Canada’s Forward Food program last year. Forward Food works with leaders in the food service industry to make plant-based options more widely available, meeting consumer demand for more ethical, sustainable and nutritious food choices.  

“We are overjoyed to see Verde come to life, making it easier for students and staff at Confederation College to enjoy plant-based meals,” said Riana Topan, senior campaign manager for HSI/Canada’s Forward Food program. “Working with Sodexo’s leadership on this initiative has been a dream and we are so proud of their progress to date in making more compassionate and environmentally friendly meals a bigger part of their menus.”  

Sodexo and HSI/Canada began collaborating in 2018, and since that time they have co-hosted a series of plant-based training sessions for the food service management company’s culinary staff. A star participant in those trainings was Chef Leanne English, Sodexo’s national director of culinary experience for campus and the creative culinary mind behind Verde.  

The concept’s initial offerings include dishes such as an avocado sushi bowl, black bean and sweet potato burrito, plant-based meatball sub and cheesy tofu scrambled toast. Chef English’s launch menu makes use of a wide variety of ingredients, from staples like chickpeas and quinoa, to dairy-free cheeses and a dark chocolate spread made from scratch. 

Sodexo plans to open other Verde locations in the future, continuing to elevate the company’s plant-based menu options at their higher education, corporate services and energy and resource accounts in Canada. HSI/Canada and Sodexo Canada will also co-host their ninth culinary training session this month, and Sodexo Canada’s sustainability manager, Davide Del Brocco, will participate in a webinar hosted by HSI/Canada at the end of November. 

The collaboration between Sodexo and Humane Society International spans across the globe, including in Singapore, Europe, United Kingdom and the United States. HSI commends Sodexo’s corporate social responsibility strategies that help people eat healthier, lighten their footprint on the environment and deliver on improved animal welfare standards across the food service industry. 

ENDS

Media contacts:  

Stephanie Aubin, director of communications, Sodexo Canada, email: stephanie.aubin@sodexo.com.  

Riana Topan, senior campaign manager, HSI/Canada, cell: 438-882-7231, email: rtopan@hsi.org. 

Humane Society International / Canada

Call to phase out the captivity of elephants and protect wildlife from roadside zoos in Canada

Humane Society International / Canada

Foxes on a fur farm
We Animals Media

MONTREAL—Kelly Butler, HSI/Canada wildlife campaign manager, issued the following statement, reacting to images released from a Québec fur farm investigation:

“We were deeply disturbed by the images appearing in the media of foxes and mink on fur farms in Québec. Such images underscore the urgent need for governments and the public to bring the cruel and outdated fur farming industry to an end.

“In fur farms, wild animals—primarily minks and foxes—are intensively confined in cramped, filthy cages, denied the most basic of their needs. These inhumane and overcrowded conditions may also promote the proliferation of zoonotic diseases including COVID-19. We are calling on the Québec Government to follow the lead of British Columbia in taking action to end fur farming within its borders. To date, over 20 countries have taken action to prohibit or severely restrict this cruel, high-risk and needless industry.”

END

Media contact: Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager: kbutler@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Canada

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