Mr. Piller said about 95 per cent of the horses slaughtered at Natural Valley Farms are from Canadian suppliers, and that many are "retirees" - often older, unwanted animals, including former racehorses.
Despite the collapse of the U.S. horse-slaughter industry, he doesn't expect more Canadian companies to rush in to fill the void. Mr. Piller said it's a difficult business to get into and that to ship product to Europe requires European Union certification, which Natural Valley Farms already had.
If anything, he expects Mexico will benefit more than Canada from the closing of American horse abattoirs.
People living near Natural Valley Farms' slaughterhouse are generally supportive of the company's move to produce horsemeat for foreign markets. "The plant has been good for this community. It has brought money and jobs here," said Glen Bender, who works at Cooper's General Store & the Chicken Coop Cafe in Neudorf.
Not all locals are happy with what's happening at the plant. Mr. Piller's uncle, Raymond Piller, a 70-year-old farmer, shook his head and said: "Those poor, poor horses. But I know that they have to do what they have to do to keep that place running. They've had a hard go of it."
Ms. Grainger said that while only a small percentage of horses in Canada are sent to the slaughterhouse (about 50,000 annually), there is no need for any of them to end up there.
"The fact is that my horse is my pet, just like my dog and my cat. We don't slaughter our pets for people to consume," she said. "Horses are a part of our culture in a way that traditional livestock aren't."
Ms. Grainger admits the anti-horse-slaughter lobby in Canada isn't as strong or organized as its counterpart in the U.S., but she expects it to gain steam as the "hidden industry" is exposed to more Canadians.
*****
Horse d'oeuvres
Which provinces have
licensed slaughterhouses for horses?
Quebec (two), Alberta (two), British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
How are horses
slaughtered?
The process is similar to how cattle are slaughtered: The animal is usually stunned with a captive bolt pistol that drives a spike into its brain and renders it immediately unconscious. Ken Piller, president of Natural Valley Farms, a Saskatchewan-based meat plant that slaughters horses, said compared with other animals the horse "is probably the easiest and cleanest animal to process."
What's the history
of horsemeat?
Humans have eaten horsemeat since the beginning of time. However, as with pork and beef, some religions have either discouraged or banned the consumption of it over the centuries. For example, in 732, Pope Gregory III issued an edict to Roman Catholics that forbade them to eat it.
Today, the meat is generally considered to be taboo in most English-speaking countries such as Canada, the United States and Australia. However, many European and Asian diners still regularly enjoy the delicacy. China is the leading producer of horsemeat.
What does it taste like?
The high-protein, low-fat meat is often described as tasting slightly sweet and similar to beef.
How is it usually prepared?
Similar to other meats, horsemeat can be prepared in numerous ways: smoked, salted, grilled, even eaten raw.
Katherine Harding
A foreign delicacy
Almost all the horsemeat processed in Canada by the six licensed horse abattiors is exported.
CANADIAN EQUINE* MEAT EXPORTS, 2007 to June
| Quantity, KGM (Kilogram-meter) | Value, $ | |
| Japan | 2,492,889 | $10,637,632 |
| France | 2,344,079 | $12,097,347 |
| Switzerland | 947,337 | $9,247,247 |
| Mexico | 904,337 | $1,386,200 |
| Italy | 370,510 | $1,725,454 |
| Czech Republic | 96,952 | $151,925 |
| Finland | 48,354 | $90,595 |
| South Africa | 23,618 | $45,881 |
| United States | 18,606 | $33,601 |
| Belgium | 15,300 | $165,586 |
| Swaziland | 12,897 | $117,204 |
| Jamaica | 7,664 | $17,504 |
*includes horse, ass, mule and hinny (horse/donkey cross)
WHERE THEY ARE
Westwold, B.C.
Lacombe, Alta.
Fort Macleod, Alta.
Neudorf, Sask.
Massueville, Que.
St.-Andre-Avellin, Que.
SOURCES: STATISTICS CANADA, AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
