Honourable senators, this morning, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association announced that the World Organization for Animal Health, the OIE, has declared Canada a country with a “negligible risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.” That is the lowest possible risk for BSE, a development that we can hope will mark the beginning of the end of trade barriers to Canadian beef around the world. It’s an extraordinary tribute to the Canadian prion disease researchers, veterinarians, inspectors, farmers and ranchers who have worked together to achieve this hard-won status.

It was 18 years ago this week that a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was first detected by a provincial lab in Alberta. The cow in question had never entered the human food chain. She was an old and sickly dairy cow from a small farm in northern Alberta, who had most likely developed the frightening prion disease from eating infected animal feed. The discovery of this first case sent a shock wave through the entire Canadian beef industry.

I will never forget being at that first press conference in the basement of the Alberta legislature when a staffer ran into the room and broke the news that the Americans had just closed the border. It was like that moment in a movie where someone reads a telegram announcing the sinking of the Titanic.

At first, I’m afraid, some wanted to deny the problem. Ralph Klein was angry that the farmer had ever sent his sick cow for testing. The premier’s preferred strategy: shoot, shovel and shut up. But the province came to realize that the only way to defeat the scourge and stigma of BSE was through rigorous surveillance and testing.

Almost 20 years on, it may be hard to remember just how terrifying mad cow disease was. Humans who ate infected beef suffered catastrophic brain damage for which there was no treatment and no cure, and you couldn’t kill BSE by cooking it. No amount of braising, broiling or barbecuing could foil the insidious prions.

Small wonder the discovery of, first, one cow and then a handful of others blackened the reputation of Canadian beef around the world. As export markets evaporated, farmers, ranchers, feedlot operators and packing plants faced economic ruin. Many cattle producers lost everything they had. But in that dark summer, Albertans rallied to support their flagship industry. “No one else wants our beef? Fine. We will eat it all ourselves, then.” Never have I eaten more steak than I did in the summer of 2003.

Today, and together, we have officially beaten BSE. I want to congratulate the Government of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and every single responsible producer who made this victory possible.

Thank you. Hiy hiy.