Advocates of raising hens in backyards were disappointed last week when they saw the City of Powell River’s staff report on changing the animal control bylaw. While staff did recommend allowing hens on half-acre lots in two main residential zones, very few properties in the city meet those requirements. As well, city staff decided to make raising rabbits and other poultry, such as water fowl and turkeys, an issue and recommended more restrictive conditions than already exist.
Elected officials did not support the proposed bylaw changes. Even though one of their options was to refer the draft bylaw to council and pass an initial reading, they decided to send the document back to staff, for more public consultation and, hopefully, a rewrite.
There is good reason to change the animal control bylaw to allow for more residents to raise hens. The city has adopted a sustainability charter, one of the principles of which is “promote self-reliance.” One of the ideas flowing from the charter is to increase local food production. As well, a policy in the city’s official community plan (OCP) encourages local sustainability practices and food self-sufficiency.
Both of these documents are high-level statements that need to be implemented through bylaws and policy. The amendments to the animal control bylaw missed the opportunity to make real change in the community and match the values in both the sustainability charter and OCP.
Staff said they took a cautionary approach because of concerns raised by societies and agencies, including the provincial conservation office. While these organizations raised serious concerns, there was no attempt to develop a plan that would address them.
A Career Link youth employment initiative, called Hens in the Hood, ran a pilot project in 2010, which included nine sites, all small properties. Four hens were kept on each site. There were no reported problems during the project, including no conflicts with bears.
There is a way to build on the success of this project and allow residents to raise hens. More public consultation should lead to a constructive plan, that will address agency concerns and open up bylaw restrictions to support the community’s goal of producing more local food.
