Beekeeping pilot project the latest buzz in Airdrie
After a community orchard, backyard hens, city opts to place beehives around town
AIRDRIE The city of Airdrie wants to become a beehive of activity.
After opening a community orchard and embracing backyard hens, Airdrie has now approved a pilot project that will see bee hives placed on city and other public land this year and possibly residential areas in 2019.
An online questionnaire garnering some 400 responses earlier this year found strong support for the project.
“Eighty-six per cent of respondents said urban beekeeping would be beneficial to the city,” said Airdrie senior planner Gail Gibeau.
Of the respondents, 83 per cent supported urban beekeeping on residential properties and about half indicated they were interested in having hives on their own property.
Between May and September, as many as two hives will be placed in city-owned or public locations.
A local beekeeper will maintain and care for the hives and harvest honey.
Following an evaluation of the first phase of the pilot project, it will be determined whether beekeeping could be allowed on private residential land. If so, several beehives would be placed on private properties between April 2019 and November 2020.
Guidelines would be set for how many hives a resident could have, where they would be located and how neighbours would be informed. As part of the project, Airdrie will also apply for a Bee City designation to be recognized as a community that supports healthy pollinator populations.
“Bee City designation means committing to creating, maintaining and/or improving pollinator habitats, educating the community about the importance of pollinators and celebrating pollinators,” Gibeau said.
Currently, the City of Chestermere is the only other Bee City in Alberta.
Airdrie city council unanimously approved the beekeeping pilot project in late May.
“I think it’s a great idea. I think it fits right in with Airdrie becoming a Blue Zone,” said Airdrie Coun. Ron Chapman. “I think it leads to the health of the community with the sustainable food source of honey.”
Coun. Al Jones, however, expressed concerns the presence of hives in residential areas might lead to bee stings, which could be detrimental to the health of some residents.
The urban beekeeping program is part of Airdrie’s Urban Agriculture Pilot Project, created in 2014 as an initiative to move the city toward becoming a more healthconscious and sustainable community.
An earlier phase saw a public education program, the development of a community orchard and the start of a backyard hens pilot project.
As of April, 20 Airdrie residents have been allowed to keep as many as four hens on their property for an 18-month period.