WHS pig crate display gets organization ousted from rural Manitoba ag fair

The Winnipeg Humane Society was asked to leave a rural Manitoba agricultural fair for setting up an animal rights display.

An animal welfare organization was asked to leave a Manitoba agriculture fair after organizers took issue with its educational display that invited the public to step inside a gestational pig crate.

The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) said their display at the Hanover Ag Fair on Saturday offered information about its pet friendly housing campaign, advice on how to coexist safely with bears, and two gestational pig crates – one with a life-size replica of a pig inside and a standing version.

“People could go in, to kind of simulate the experience of what it feels like to be in confinement for that sow,” WHS animal advocacy lawyer Krista Boryskavich told CTV News.

However, Boryskavich said fair organizers soon asked them to leave, saying portions of the WHS display were not in accordance with the fair’s values.

“In good faith, the Hanover Ag Fair accepted the Winnipeg Humane Society’s request for a vendor space at our event under the assumption they would be promoting their pet adoption programs,” a statement on the fair’s Facebook page said, noting WHS was asked to leave the fair.

WHS staff left disappointed, Boryskavich said, as the display sparked respectful dialogue, including with those who did not share their perspective.

“The reason that we chose to take the gestation crate display out this summer is because the pig code that governs issues such as housing for pigs in factory farms or farmed animals is being opened up for public comment in 2026,” she explained.

‘There’s not been an issue prior’

The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, otherwise known as the national pig code, was developed in 2014 by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) – the organization that governs the Canadian hog industry.

The code is currently under review, with the public invited to weigh in starting in the fall.

The crates, also known as a sow stalls, confine female pigs to the metal enclosures, which WHS said cause a number of health issues, including painful sores and muscle atrophy.

The practice is banned in places like the United Kingdom, while the NFACC called for their use to be phased out in Canada by 2024. However, WHS said the code is not legally binding and so far, about 70 per cent of Canadian sows are still being housed in the crates.

Boryskavich said its pig crates previously made stops at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival and the Altona Sunflower Festival in an effort to educate the public and potentially inspire folks to voice their concerns while the code is under review.

“There’s not been an issue prior, no, similar to the one we experienced in Hanover,” she said.

When asked by CTV News for further comment about the incident, a Hanover Ag Fair staff member pointed to the Facebook post, noting their team was busy cleaning up after the event.

- With files from CTV’s Glenn Pismenny and Tom Kennedy