Rebel News Podcast: Special Interview with 2025 Viewers’ Choice Winner

Host: Ezra Levant
Guest: Drea Humphrey (BC Bureau Chief, Viewers’ Choice Winner)
Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on a feature interview with Drea Humphrey, the newly announced winner of the Rebel News 2025 Viewers’ Choice Award. Host Ezra Levant explores Drea’s impactful year, focusing on her coverage of the BC ostrich farm standoff, her challenging political journalism within British Columbia, and the broader hurdles faced by independent media in Canada. The conversation covers key stories, the culture of the Rebel News team, the battle for press access, and the political chaos unfolding in BC.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The "Rebbies" Awards & Viewers’ Choice

• Rebel News’ Internal Awards: Ezra describes the tradition of the “Rebbies,” modeled after The Office’s Dundies, celebrating on-screen and off-screen staff. All but the Viewers’ Choice are internally selected (00:30).
• Drea’s Victory: Drea Humphrey, the BC Bureau Chief, was picked overwhelmingly by viewers. “It was very close between second, third and fourth...but miles ahead...our friend Drea Humphrey” (01:54).
• Drea’s Reaction:

  "To win the Viewer's Choice, the hearts of the people, it just means so much to me." – Drea Humphrey (03:03)

The Ostrich Farm Story: From Local Crisis to Global Impact

• Significance: Drea’s coverage of the BC ostrich farm standoff became Rebel News’ second biggest story of 2025 (03:18).
• Why It Resonated:
  • “Everybody likes animals...At the very least, we know that if you are sick months or you were sick months ago, you’re not sick now. And so it was something that was nonpartisan.” – Drea Humphrey (04:16)
  • Public Health Parallels: Ezra connects the government's handling of the farm to COVID public health overreach—“It echoed the insanity, the public health nonsense that we all lived through.” (05:29)
• Government Overreach:
  • Drea points to increasing “government control on our farms”—“The farmers who are the experts…are just not having any say.” (04:57)
  • Escalation included heavy police presence, anti-drone tactics, and hay-bale barricades designed more to block journalism than protect health (08:03).
• Police Involvement:
  • Ezra describes an enormous RCMP operation, diverting officers from real crime; Drea backs this up with documentation and government stonewalling on costs (10:58).
  • “These officers came from all across BC...You’re going to tell me you’re going to send officers to stand at a farm so that the farmers, what, don't feed their animals? Like, it was insane.” – Drea Humphrey (10:23)

Aftermath and Continuing Investigation

• Trauma on the Ground: Drea recounts the emotional toll after the mass culling of ostriches and the community’s request for support being denied (12:00).
• Upcoming Documentary:
  • A new documentary is being developed; details teased at ostrichfarmdocumentary.com (13:38).

  “Hell hath no fury like a journalist scorned...now I want to get my revenge. And I know many are in support of avenging the ostriches.” – Drea Humphrey (13:58)

• Community & Support: The documentary will include unseen footage, an investigation into the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and aims to expose broader issues in farm policy (13:50).

Rebel News & Press Access: Battles for Answers

• Refused Answers from Officials:
  • Ezra tells of asking federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel a “friendly” question about US-Canada cooperation on avian research; she refuses to answer, causing a viral moment (16:00).

    “I thought it was a good question. But the way they non-answered was so stark… That summed up everything, the haughty attitude… It was a really weird moment.” – Ezra Levant (18:41)

  • Drea relates this to previous experiences with politicians dodging tough but valid questions, notably with Jagmeet Singh (19:36).

    “You couldn’t have asked it any friendlier… and you were snubbed. That means the people were snubbed.” – Drea Humphrey (19:41)

• Jagmeet Singh Debate Incident:
  • Drea’s direct question about anti-Christian violence is dismissed with accusations of misinformation.

    “Your party takes pride in standing against hate...yet you stay silent about ongoing attacks against Christians…” – Drea Humphrey (21:52)

  • Singh refuses to answer, sparking further media discussion and correction (22:37–25:14).
  • Ezra credits the Rebel’s legal team for securing their right to participate (25:44).

BC Politics: Fractures and Land Rights Crisis

• Conservative Party Meltdown:
  • Drea breaks down the chaos—internal party expulsions, splinter groups (1BC), and leadership struggles (27:08–29:41).
  • Viral documentary “Making a Killing” by the splinter group spreads rapidly online, but infighting continues (29:41).
• Indigenous Land Title Crisis:
  • The Wall Street Journal warns investors about risks in BC due to unresolved indigenous land title claims (31:55).
  • Drea outlines the implications: uncertainty over property, stalled real estate transactions, “development on pause” due to sweeping indigenous rights enforcement (32:14).

    “Who wants to do any type of real estate in these particular areas? … British Columbia is the first, the most extreme jurisdiction in the world to have taken that aspirational UN framework for indigenous rights... and made that law binding.” – Drea Humphrey (33:10)

• BC as “Bad Ideas Laboratory”:
  • Ezra and Drea discuss how major progressive policy experiments—safe supply, eco-activism, gender policy—often start and escalate fastest in BC (34:26).

    “BC is probably the most beautiful. And it’s just a shame that it has some of the worst politics.” – Ezra Levant (35:41)

Personal Impact and Wellbeing

• Recognition and Risks:
  • Drea’s heightened profile brings both appreciation (fans buying groceries) and security risks (36:14).
  • Ezra reiterates Rebel News’ commitment to reporter safety (35:41, 37:08).

  “Your reputation has grown so much...I just want you to stay safe out there…” – Ezra Levant (36:19)

  • Drea expresses gratitude to the audience and her family for support during long field assignments (37:08–38:01).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Independent Reporting:

  “Hell hath no fury like a journalist scorned...there was no scientific reason, there was no risk to kill these animals...now I want to get my revenge.”
  — Drea Humphrey (13:58)

• On Politicians Dodging the Press:

  “I guess it’s question period, not answer period.”
  — Ezra Levant (18:41)

• On the Ostrich Farm’s Broader Significance:

  “It was grassroots, authentic people saying, something is awry here...”
  — Ezra Levant (05:29)

• On Press Access Victories:

  “We had to go to court twice… beat them twice so that by 2025 they no longer tried to bar us.”
  — Ezra Levant (25:44)

• On BC’s Policy Trends:

  “B.C. is sometimes a bad ideas laboratory...It often gets started earliest in B.C. and it goes wackiest. It’s part of the wacky left coast.”
  — Ezra Levant (34:26)

• Personal Notes:

  “Our family meat. That’s like the best gift ever. Steaks.”
  — Drea Humphrey (36:14)
  “Thank you to all of our viewers who do donate at Journalist Defense Fund to make that possible. And thank you to God for keeping me safe so far.”
  — Drea Humphrey (37:08)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – 01:54: Ezra introduces the “Rebbies” and the Viewers’ Choice context
• 03:03: Drea reacts to her win
• 03:18 – 05:29: Ezra and Drea discuss why the ostrich farm story went global
• 06:54: Police presence at the farm, government overreach
• 10:23: RCMP details and misallocation of law enforcement
• 12:00: Aftermath: chaplain and community trauma
• 13:38: Announcement & tease of upcoming ostrich farm documentary
• 16:00 – 18:41: Ezra’s federal press conference and viral Minister snub
• 19:36 – 25:44: Comparison to Drea’s Jagmeet Singh question and media corrections
• 26:43 – 29:41: Analysis of BC conservative politics and splinter parties
• 31:55 – 34:26: Land rights crisis and its economic impact
• 35:41 – 37:08: Reflections on BC as a hotbed for progressive experiments; safety and recognition
• 38:01 – 38:26: Closing: Drea’s gratitude, personal notes, episode wrap-up

Tone & Atmosphere

• Tone: Assertive, combative toward public health overreach and political evasion, but also collegial, candid, and supportive among colleagues.
• Atmosphere: A blend of serious discussion on policy, emotional storytelling, and inside glimpses into the independent journalism community.

Summary Takeaway

This episode highlights Drea Humphrey’s standout journalism, especially her ostrich farm coverage—a non-partisan story that galvanized local and international audiences. It showcases the uphill battles independent media faces for access and answers, the tumult of BC’s conservative politics and land rights crisis, and the personal side of high-profile journalism: community support, emotional toll, and the vital need for security amidst growing recognition and risk.