Council approves bee pilot project
Edmonton’s urban beekeepers received clearance to launch Monday after councillors approved a pilot project that will put hives in local backyards.
Since many cities already permit urban beekeeping, Mayor Don Iveson characterized the program as a “pilot” for functional reasons only, not just “dipping a toe in the water.” Projects will receive approval this summer, with administrators coming back to council next year with bylaw changes.
Iveson described bee proponents — who keep hives to increase pollination or produce honey and beeswax — as artisans keen on bolstering gardens throughout the city. “This is people who want to do their part to support biodiversity, support our ecosystem,” Iveson said. “It just so happens we’re going to have nicer flowers and better yields out of our gardens and crops.”
Since January, Matthew Boeckner and Jocelyn Crocker have worked on a proposal they presented to council on Monday. Five trained beekeepers would monitor two hives at a south Edmonton home, with weekly inspections and hive tours for anyone who wants to see how it works.
The group, which calls itself YegBees, are prepared for worst-case scenarios: swarm control plans, epinephrine pens in case anyone goes into anaphylactic shock and $5 million in liability insurance. But at their practice hives in Strathcona County, the creatures have proven so docile safety concerns seem unfounded.
“We have no stings to date and we’ve had children as young as three years old inspecting the hives with us,” said Boeckner, an enforcement officer with Environment Canada.
Edmonton already permits hives at several sites for educational purposes, including the Telus World of Science and the University of Alberta. Administrators will look to other municipalities for best practices. Guidelines would ensure hives are appropriately sized and have neighbours’ consent, as well as minimum setbacks from homes and public spaces.
Crocker, a biology instructor at NAIT, said a lot of the bad rap bees get come from association with other buzzing yellow and black insects. Unlike wasps, bees aren’t carnivorous or interested in human food, a fact to which she says anyone who’s inspected a hive could attest.
“It’s actually quite amazing to be in this cloud of bees, and they’re not stinging you, they’re just checking out what’s going on,” she said.