MEDIA ADVISORY | PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
OTTAWA, February 12, 2026 — The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) will stage a striking public installation to show what federal cuts to food safety really mean for Canadians.
A family dining table will be set with recently recalled food items. A food safety scientist, a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) expert, will be seated at the table representing the oversight and protection of Canadians food supply. Behind them, a large “receipt” will itemize what’s being cut: inspections, surveillance, and nearly one million hours of food safety expertise every year.
The action sounds the alarm over federal cuts to CFIA, warning that food safety, public health, and Canada’s agri-food economy are being put at serious risk in the name of “efficiency.”
The latest cuts at the CFIA are underscored by years of understaffing and capacity erosion.
Event Details
What: Visual media event – The cost of cutting food safety
When: Friday, February 13, 2026, at 12:00 PM
Where: Corner of Sparks and Elgin Streets, Ottawa
Speakers:
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Sean O’Reilly, President, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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Stéphanie Fréchette, PIPSC Vice-President and CFIA professional
PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government.
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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca--