Canada Food Inspection Agency

Winnipeg - Don Salkeld owned the goose processing plant Northern Goose; it was the only licensed facility in Canada allowed to ship poultry into Europe. During a six-month period in 1997 and 1998, officials at the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) gave Salkeld conflicting, incorrect and misleading information. In the fall of 1998 Salkeld learned he was removed from the list of authorized Canadian food processors allowed to ship to Europe. Salkeld initially offered to settle the dispute if the CFIA would purchase $2.5 million worth of geese in his freezers that he could not sell to Europe. Instead of settling, the CFIA told him if he wanted the money he should sue. So, Salkeld filed a lawsuit against the CFIA and Justice Colleen Suche found CFIA officials, "repeatedly gave Northern Goose incorrect, misleading or inaccurate information, or failed to give it information Northern Goose needed to know. This was done in circumstances where CFIA officials knew or ought to have known that the information was incorrect, and that Northern Goose would rely on the information, to its detriment." A court ruling awarded the Goose King a $9 million settlement. (Sep-06-06) [Goose King, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS]

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