Bonnyville town council is looking into adopting a bee-keeping policy within the town limits.
The issue hadn’t really been on the town’s list of priorities until a local resident brought it up. Both Edmonton and Calgary have allowed beekeeping in their jurisdictions with owners having to get permits and follow specific bylaws. While Bonnyville doesn’t have any sort of policy on their books, there is a provincial code, appropriately titled the Bee Act that lays down some rules. Beekeepers have to register under the act on an annual basis. Council debated on if they should make some additions to the Animal Control Bylaw to account for beehives.
While no formal decision has been made yet, they’re going to start asking around.
“We’re not permitting, nor refusing (people to have beehives,)”said Mayor Gene Sobolewski at the meeting. “What the administration is going to do is information gathering.
“It happens in other municipalities, we’re not reinventing the wheel. We can look at it, and then make decisions in the future once we have more information.”
Sobolewski wants to get some expert opinions in on the discussions and take their opinions in what steps they take next.