A trucker who loaded 200 heavy hogs on a farm near Sarnia and trucked them to Conestoga Meat Packers at Breslau on a hot and humid day had his Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) fine reduced from $13,000 to $10,000.
The trucker said had he known the heavy weight of the hogs he would not have loaded them and when he expressed concerns.
The appellant’s representative, William Warner, said that (the trucker) called him during loading “to say the hogs were severely hot and breathing hard coming out of the barn”. The trucker also sent text messages to Warner during loading that the hogs were “in rough shape”.
The trucker’s concerns about the health of the pigs from the outset was later repeated to the CFIA inspector Sadat Bromand.
He told Inspector Bromand that the pigs were sluggish and were foaming and drooling at the mouth. (he) told the Inspector that he discussed the situation with the farm employee, who told him the pigs would be fine “as long as there was a breeze”.
In its submissions, the appellant stated that the pigs were transported in a trailer that had an MVP (“Most Ventilation Possible”) design.
The Canadian Agricultural Review Tribunal noted that the trucking company had a conviction during the previous five years for a “very serious violation).
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