Please see below a letter from Tim Singer, Director General, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Health Canada, sent to us on June 3, 2024. As the letter indicates, Canada has not yet phased out testing on animals and is only indicating it will do it “where possible”. There is still work to be done on this front.

We are happy to see the work of our sister organization, the Progressive Non-Animal Research Society (PNARS) mentioned. PNARS produced the report, Environmental Impacts of Animal Experimentation, drawing attention to environmental harms caused by animal experimentation. You can see a summary of that report, and also a full version of the report by clicking here. As the report indicates, animal experimentation causes harm to the environment. That aspect of such research is often left out of the conversation.

The letter mentions at the end that “there are no Health Canada funding opportunities that would provide external infrastructure funding for the establishment of animal laboratories to institutions in BC.” This can sound very good, but remember that this kind of funding doesn’t generally come directly from Health Canada. Rather, funding goes to health authorities and universities which may then direct monies to animal labs. The funding for animal labs isn’t direct from Health Canada. If not providing direct funding for the establishment of animal laboratories were an actual change, we think it would have been identified as a change in the letter. Seems like business as usual in that area.

Letter from Health Canada

Thank you for your correspondence of March 8 to the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health. The Minister’s office has asked that I respond on his behalf.

Reducing reliance on animal testing and promoting methods that replace, reduce or refine the use of animal testing is a priority for the Government of Canada. The Government is working on a number of fronts to advance this work and our goal of ultimately phasing out testing on animals, where possible, so that decisions that impact the health of people living in Canada remain supported by the best available science.

As indicated in the report you shared from the Progressive Non-Animal Research Society of British Columbia, a key milestone for this work was the amendment of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) through Bill S-5 to recognize the need to replace, reduce or refine vertebrate animal testing when assessing the risks that substances may pose on human health and the environment.

As part of this work, a strategy is being developed to guide the replacement, reduction or refinement of the use of vertebrate animals for the purposes of assessing chemicals under CEPA. A draft strategy will be published for public consultation later in 2024.

In addition to regulatory and legislative initiatives, the Government of Canada is advancing science and research activities to support the development and use of alternative non-animal methods and reduce reliance on vertebrate animal testing.

Health Canada remains committed to replacing animal models with appropriate and scientifically justified non-animal alternatives and strategies. Regarding your specific request, there are no Health Canada funding opportunities that would provide external infrastructure funding for the establishment of animal laboratories to institutions in BC.

I appreciate your taking the time to share your views on this important issue.   

Yours sincerely,

Tim Singer

Director General, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate

Health Canada / Government of Canada

Directeur général, Direction des sciences de la santé environnementale et radiologique

Santé Canada / Gouvernement du Canada