OTTAWA—Candlelight vigils will be held in 11 cities across Canada on December 16, marking the anniversary of the inclusion of the federal Liberal Party’s 2021 commitment to end the export of horses for slaughter in the mandate letter of the Minister of Agriculture. These nationwide events will honour the thousands of horses who have suffered and lost their lives in this cruel trade in the years since the pledge was made.
On December 16, 2021, a mandate letter directed the Minister of Agriculture to phase out live horse exports for slaughter, consistent with the Liberal Party’s promise to Canadians during the 2021 election. Over the past four years, more than 10,700 horses have endured gruelling flights to Japan for slaughter, deprived of food, water, or rest.
The thousands of terrified draft horses caught in the trade are trucked from feedlots in western Canada to the Edmonton and Winnipeg airports, crammed into wooden crates, and flown overseas to be killed and eaten as a raw delicacy. The shipments frequently exceed the 28-hour legal limit for transport without food, water, and rest, leading to severe distress and health risks.
Horses regularly become injured and even die as a result of transport to Japan, from causes including dehydration, “shipping fever”, or severe stress. Upon landing, the horses are hosed down with harsh disinfectant chemicals, and fattened and slaughtered for luxury sashimi.
Animal Justice, along with the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC), Humane World for Animals Canada, and multiple local partner organizations, will hold 11 coordinated events across Canada. Each vigil will include a moment of silence to honour the horses who have been lost, along with an opportunity to lay letters, flowers, candles, or other symbolic items at a collective memorial. Together, attendees will call on the federal government to act now and bring an end to this cruelty.
“Thousands of horses have paid the ultimate price while this promise remains unfulfilled,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy at Animal Justice. “These vigils honour their lives, and are an urgent call to action. The government can ban this practice quickly by regulatory amendments without the need to introduce and pass a new bill. We need Prime Minister Carney to be a hero for horses and ensure the Liberal Party finally makes good on this lifesaving promise.”
“The suffering of horses air-shipped to Japan does not align with the expectations of most Canadians, who support high animal welfare standards. This industry cannot meet those expectations and must be banned immediately by the federal government,” said Sinikka Crossland, executive director of the CHDC.
“The overwhelming majority of Canadians are against the senseless and cruel practice of exporting live horses by air for slaughter,” said Ewa Demianowicz, Program Director for Humane World for Animals Canada, formerly called Humane Society International Canada. “The Canadian government must move quickly to align with public values and stop the suffering of Canadian horses who are victims of this industry. Today, from coast to coast, people across the nation stand together to urge Prime Minister Carney to take action.”
Additionally, Canadian celebrities including Jann Arden, Bryan Adams, Bif Naked, Burton Cummings, and Chantal Kreviazuk have signed a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister of Agriculture Heath MacDonald, urging them to finally fulfill the Liberal Party’s 2021 promise and swiftly enact regulations to end the export of horses for slaughter overseas.
In 2023, Liberal MP Tim Louis introduced Bill C-355 to ban the export of horses for slaughter overseas. The bill passed the House of Commons in 2024 but faced delay in the Senate, where it ultimately died when the federal election was called in March 2025.
Locations (all times local)
Calgary
- Location: Harley Hotchkiss Gardens – 611 4 Street SW
- Time: 6PM – 7PM
Charlottetown
- Location: Soldiers’ Memorial – Grafton and Great George Street
- Time: 5PM – 6PM
Edmonton
- Location: Minister Eleanor Olszewski’s Constituency Office – 104-12220 Stony Plain Rd, NW
- Time: 4PM – 6PM
Halifax
- Location: City Hall – 1841 Argyle Street
- Time: 6pm – 7pm
London
- Location: Victoria Park – 580 Clarence Street (Richmond St & Central Ave Corner)
- Time: 6pm – 7pm
Moncton (in partnership with Atlantic Canada Animal Advocacy)
- Location: MP Ginette Petitpa’s Constituency Office – 272 St. George Street
- Time: 4PM – 5PM
Montreal (with support from the Montreal SPCA)
- Location: Place Vauquelin – 275 Notre-Dame St. East
- Time: 6pm – 7pm
Ottawa
- Location: Parliament Hill – Meeting Point: Eternal Flame
- Time: 6PM – 7PM
Toronto
- Location: Minister Evan Solomon’s Constituency Office – 409 Parliament Street
- Time: 6PM – 7PM
Vancouver (with support from the Vancouver Humane Society)
- Location: Vancouver City Hall – 453 W 12th Ave
- Time: 6PM – 7PM
Winnipeg (in partnership with Manitoba Animal Save)
- Location: Portage & Main (southwest corner sidewalk, near Scotiabank)
- Time: 6PM – 7PM
Contact:
Josh Lynn, Public Relations Manager
Animal Justice
[email protected]
Dominique Davidson, Program Manager, Communications
Humane World for Animals Canada
[email protected]
Sinikka Crosland
President, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition
[email protected]