OTTAWA, Ont. — Canada may have just taken a giant step backward in its attempt to end the U.S. ban on Canadian beef.

Federal authorities south of the border yesterday announced five bulls were moved from a farm in Baldwinton, Sask. to one in Montana in 1997.

It’s believed the lone animal that tested positive for mad cow disease spent some time at the Baldwinton ranch.
The bulls were reportedly later sold to stockyards in Montana and South Dakota.

U.S. investigators say they don’t believe these bulls were infected.

But Saskatchewan’s assistance deputy minister of agriculture Louise Greenberg says the connection may provide ammunition for U.S. critics who want to keep the border closed to Canadian beef.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says more than 1500 cattle have been slaughtered as part of the ongoing investigation into the origins of mad cow disease here in Canada.

All tests of carcasses so far have turned up negative for mad cow disease.