Honourable senators, I’m here today to give my full support to Bill C-355, An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts. As of now, the regulations for air transportation of horses are the same — identical — whether those horses are raised to win medals or to provide food, whether those horses are raised for the Queen’s Plate or the food plate, the rules are supposed to be the same. But — and it’s a big fat “but” — the horses that are raised in Canada and sent halfway around the world for slaughter, in practice, do not get the same ride on the plane as the other horses.

Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, the Chief Veterinary Officer at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA, said in committee that regulatory requirements were updated in 2019 and that:

The goal of these amendments was to prevent avoidable suffering of animals throughout the transport process by setting out the conditions for humanely transporting all animals by all modes of transport.

That’s the law.

The regulatory requirements stated that the transport time of horses had to be less than 28 hours. The regulation does not require that the horses be fed or given water or provided enough space to lie down, to rest during this time. No food, no water, no rest for 28 hours.

According to Kaitlyn Mitchell from Animal Justice:

Recent scientific research shows that even very short road trips of three or more hours can affect horses’ endocrine and immune functions.

They hurt horses — 3 hours, never mind 28.

If you consider the journey of these gentle, majestic sentient beings from the feedlots where they’re raised into trucks for ground transport, for several hours, to airports, to being pulled out of those trucks, in some cases prodded after they’re pulled out of those trucks and put into wooden crates to sit on a noisy airport tarmac for a period of time, to then be put on a cargo plane to endure a long flight — all without food, water or rest — it’s entirely reasonable to believe there is a high probability these horses will suffer or sustain an injury during this process, or worse. There are a lot of dead horses. Not to mention that we have no way of knowing how long it will take before these horses are able to drink, eat and rest when they do arrive at their destination.

In the study of this bill in the House of Commons, our fellow legislators were told there had been five horse deaths since 2013 and no significant injuries reported during the transport of 47,000 horses overseas to be slaughtered. Given the testimony of Dr. Mary Jane Ireland at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee, we have reason to seriously question these numbers.

Dr. Ireland explained to the committee the role of the Canadian inspectors during the transport of the horses:

. . . inspectors and veterinarians are at the airport when the animals are off-loaded from the trucks, put into the containers and put onto a plane, to make sure they are fit to travel, are healthy, are not overcrowded and are compatible.

But once the doors are closed in Canada and the plane is in the air, Canada — the department that is responsible — has absolutely no way of knowing what happens to those horses. Canadian inspectors are not present on the flights or on the ground when those horses arrive at their destination.

So, Canada relies entirely on local authorities overseas to tell us if there was a death or an injury during transportation. Canadian authorities have no way to verify or control the information received, and so the number of deaths and injuries could be dramatically different from what the CFIA reports. All we have is the so-called expectation that the local authorities overseas will be providing us with the truth. But there are no enforcement or reporting mechanisms in place.

A recent report released in September by Animal Justice, based on documents from the Japan-based animal rights group Life Investigation Agency obtained from the Japanese government, suggests the numbers of deaths and injuries are exponentially higher than the numbers reported to the committee. The report states that horses exported from Canada to Japan for slaughter are frequently injured and killed due to the perilous nature of the journey. It states — and this is based on information from the Japanese government:

. . . at least 21 horses shipped from Canada to Japan for slaughter between June 2023 and May 2024 alone —

— which means less than one year; 21 horses shipped from Canada to Japan during that time frame —

— died during transport or in the hours and days following. Many more suffered painful injuries and health complications (e.g., fever, prolonged diarrhea) which appear to have been caused by the transport process.

After arriving in Japan, horses exported for slaughter are dying of dehydration, stress, pneumonia, and other medical conditions. . . .

Some of the pregnant mares are having painful miscarriages.

. . . Japanese government data even shows that some mares have died shortly after arrival due to miscarriage. The data also shows a troubling pattern of inadequate veterinary care and monitoring during transport and after the horses’ arrival in Japan.

The source is Flight to Fatality, a report by Animal Justice released in September 2024, but, once again, these numbers are based on data from the Japanese government.

So there’s no mystery here on the question of why the practice of transporting live horses for slaughter is no longer allowed or is in the process of being ended in many countries that we think of as democracies similar to our own. I’m talking about the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and others taking action to put an end to this practice, and Canadians are asking us to please do the same in this hallowed chamber of democracy. We can do the right thing simply by adopting Bill C-355.

As I speak today, if I may be permitted to be somewhat personal, the memory of someone very dear to my heart is on my mind. Her name is Sharon. She was not only a good friend to me but, more importantly, a good friend to animals, many of them horses. There is zero doubt that she would be among the many thousands of Canadians who have signed petitions, emailed members of Parliament and senators like ourselves, calling for an end to this disgrace, an end to the exporting by air of live horses for slaughter.

Every day in this life, we have a choice to be less human or more human, and that’s the choice this chamber is facing tonight. Are we more human or less human? I’m hoping this chamber chooses more.

Let’s send this bill to committee as soon as possible. Bill C-355 has been in the Senate since May 21. Five senators and myself have spoken at second reading, and I hope you’ll join me in adopting the second reading of this bill and sending it to committee before the Senate rises for the holidays.

I thank all of you for listening to me speak about this bill, and, when passed, we’re hoping it will ease the suffering of thousands of horses.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

I’m wondering whether my friend Senator Adler would take a question.

From my fellow Manitoba senator, of course, I will.

Thank you, Senator Adler. I heard in your speech a number of references like “it appears to,” and “this is what we’re being told,” and “this is what Animal Justice is saying,” and “we think this is what is happening.” Senator Adler, we have a great facility in our city, the city of Winnipeg, that is involved in the transportation of live animals, whether it be horses or other live animals. One other such facility is in Edmonton.

I imagine, Senator Adler, since you are so sure of how these horses are being treated, that you have taken the opportunity to go to the Winnipeg airport and, in fact, verify that these horses are put into these stalls and are being inhumanely — and I struggle with the word “inhumanely” when we’re not talking about humans, but nevertheless — treated, cruelly treated. I imagine you’ve seen this first-hand, as I have, how they are being treated.

Thank you very much for the question. And, of course, the question is based on the premise that activists are to be disparaged, activists are not to be trusted.

I understand many people who want the status quo in a number of areas feel that way and always have.

Fortunately, in this great democracy called Canada, activists have been trusted. If it were not for activists, this chamber would be missing many people we have been graced with. This chamber would not have Indigenous people if it were not for activists. This chamber would not have women, people of colour and LGBT and disabled Canadians if it were not for activists. The list goes on.

Frankly, I would rather the people in this chamber stand up and applaud activism rather than disparage it.

I could be as offended as you appear to be with my question. In no way was I suggesting activists should not be there.

My question to you was this: Have you seen it first-hand or simply taking somebody else’s word? Let’s not make this about activists. I understand that.

Senator Adler, when I decide to take on a bill, either in a sponsorship or critic’s role, I do my duty and go out and investigate, as I did with a bill we have before us, Bill S-15, where I begged a committee to make a trip down the road to look at the zoos they said were torturing elephants; they refused to.

My question to you again, Senator Adler, is this: Activists aside, have you taken this opportunity at least? Senator Adler, you have been a journalist — an investigative reporter, if you will. Have you taken the opportunity to do your investigative duty and gone to see whether these animals are being tortured?

With all due respect, and I’m trying not to make this personal — not just because I like you and not just because you are a fellow Manitoba Senator — but how on earth does taking a trip to the airport tell you what the horses are enduring on their long flights overseas? I honestly do not understand, senator, how your trip to the Winnipeg airport gives us any sustenance. I don’t get it.

Well, Senator Adler, you did say how these horses were being mistreated on the tarmac at the airport; how they were being mistreated when they drove up there with the truck; how noisy the tarmac was; how they were being loaded in and they could not move around or lie down in the crates. These are all things you can see from on the ground.

I went up the stairs into the airplane in Edmonton a week ago to see how they were being treated in the airplane. No, I didn’t fly with them. However, you also insinuated we have no idea what is happening to them in the air. They are not allowed out of the crates in the air. Once they are in the air, those crates are in place. I think even you and I would understand that.

You insinuated, Senator Adler, these horses are suffering on the tarmac and cruelly being put into crates where they cannot turn around or lie down, which is not true, Senator Adler. I have watched them turn around in there. I have watched them go in one way. Then, five minutes later, they are standing and facing a different direction.

Senator Adler, if you say they are being mistreated on the tarmac, that is something you have the opportunity to see. I invite you to come with me on December 16 to the Winnipeg airport and see exactly that.

I would be happy to go to the airport or anywhere else, Senator Plett, but the idea that a senator or two being at an airport on any particular day to see something that other people have not seen doesn’t really, once again, tell me very much. I’m simply exercising —

No.