Vernon council is abuzz over bees.
Council unanimously agreed to direct staff to draft zoning bylaw amendments to permit the keeping of bees in all agricultural and commercial zoning districts, and single- and two-family residential zoning districts, following an earlier presentation by current Vernon council candidate Dawn Tucker, who asked the city to change its bylaw to allow urban bees in all zones.
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“We should look at having them on apartment rooftops, too,” said Coun. Brian Quiring. “I see that all the time in Vancouver and other places.”
Tucker, a self-acclaimed “non-conforming, five-year urban beekeeper,” asked for the change, saying bees are important to North America as they pollinate flowers, which helps communities to enjoy flowers and gardens. She keeps six colonies of bees at her Vernon home.
“I’m very excited and I’m really happy the city is moving forward,” said Tucker. “We’ll come up with a good bylaw that will allow people of Vernon to keep bees. That’s what is most important. We’re looking at protecting pollinators, and allowing people to do a hobby that is widely recognized as able to be done in urban areas.”
RELATED: Vernon beekeeper concerned after spike of deaths in bee population
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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