It seems the buzz about urban beekeeping in the Capital Region continues to grow.
Keith Scott, the coordinator of the city’s animal control program, said 32 permits were handed out last year for urban beekeeping after the city changed its bylaw April 2015. As of this week, 85 permits had been handed out in total – 80 going to residential beekeepers and five to non-profit organizations and universities.
MacEwan University installed four beehives atop a building May 7 as part of a pilot project. The hives are from New Zealand and started with 32,000 bees.
Beekeeper Troy Donovan says the harvest is wrapping up and so far, roughly 80 pounds of honey has been collected. He calls the pilot project a success.
“We expected around that much. If things would have gone amazingly well, we might have had double or triple that, but that’s mostly for next year,” he said.
Donovan said the honey will be used as part of the university’s food services and will also be sold in the bookstore.
“It’s nice to have it local and have it immediate and to be in touch with nature so closely and to know we are all part of an ecosystem.”
The beehives are truly in an urban environment – one sees downtown Edmonton on one side and the new Rogers Place arena on another side.
Donovan said it has been a learning experience to cultivate the bees amidst the backdrop of the downtown core. He said urban beekeeping is unique in terms of the sun, noise and the way the bees interact with people.
The Shaw Conference Centre installed one beehive in April with bees also from New Zealand. Approximately 60 pounds of honey has been harvested, according to beekeeper Patty Milligan. Jars of the sweet nectar were delivered to the conference centre kitchen this week.
“They tend to forage within about one kilometre so it’s a really local honey. It’s very unique so I think that’s very exciting in the kitchen,” Milligan said.
“It’s our honey, right from our hive. We have so many wildflowers in the river valley and also outside of the Shaw Conference Centre as well. The flavours, you know, the bee takes the flavour where the honey pollinates so it’s really a wonderful flavour,” said executive chef Simon Smotkowicz.
Smotkowicz said the honey makes up only a minute portion of the total honey used in the kitchen, but said it will be used in desserts and given away as gifts.
The urban beekeeping program is helping Edmonton’s green space and vice versa, according to the city.
“The amount of foliage and food for the bees – it’s different than a rural area where they can go, and [there are] huge crops compared with the city environment where they’re focusing more on flowers, trees and plants,” Scott said.
He adds that the city is a benefactor of the urban bees.
“It helps supports our fruit trees. We have a huge urban forest that runs through the river valley. It helps with Edmonton in Bloom with flowers and the urban gardens. It’s different than rural areas in that they’re in backyards.”
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