Winnipeg buzzing over backyard beehives
Urban beekeeping permits skyrocket from 3 to 17, after council removes location restrictions
Winnipeg is breaking out in hives in the first spring since an expansion of urban beekeeping was approved last year.
The city has issued 14 new permits since council gave the green light to expand beekeeping to all urban areas last fall, which brings the total number of active bee operations to 17.
"It's an exciting time for a lot of people," said Mike Gordon, who manages Bee Outfitters, one of the few places to buy beekeeping gear in the city.
Gordon said there's an explosion in the number of new hobbyists, compared to mostly commercial beekeepers in previous years. He speculated most new permits are probably going to Winnipeggers who think "it's a good way for them to help save the bees."
Gordon said people "from all walks of life" are signing up to become apiarists, from kids to seniors, doctors and lawyers.
In 2016, the city initially allowed apiarists to keep bees in properly managed colonies on downtown rooftops and farmlands within the Perimeter. In October 2017, council agreed to expand beekeeping to all areas, including residential, industrial and commercial zones, as well as agricultural and institutional properties.
All new beekeeping operations in Winnipeg must be approved by the city through the zoning and permits office before putting plans into place. Each site is limited to maximum four hives plus one nucleus hive, in accordance to additional planning and design standards outlined on the city's website and the Manitoba Bee Act.
Beekeepers are responsible for following best practices to take care of the bees and prevent swarming, aggressive behaviour and disease, according to the city's website.
"Getting involved in beekeeping means you should be a responsible neighbour," said Mark Friesen, president of the Manitoba Beekeepers' Association. "You license your dog, you license your bees, you do what you have to do."
Friesen said urban beekeeping helps the local bee economy — in terms of getting honey to market — and the environment. He said more people may actually be keeping bees than the city's registry shows.
A City of Winnipeg spokesperson was unable to specify new permits by neighbourhood because that info isn't publicly disclosed by the city's property committee.