To bee or not to bee: council considers request for residential hives

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Taber Times

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On May 26, Taber’s Ken Holst appeared before town council as a delegation to request an amendment to an exotic animal bylaw that states bees are prohibited within the corporate town limits.

 He asked council to consider changing a bylaw to allow bees to be regulated rather than restricted. He specifically proposed the implementation of a two-year trial period to allow up to five resident beekeeping locations with a maximum of two hives at each location. Additionally, he asked for an opportunity for the trial residents to return to council with recommendations after the trial period.

 Holst told council that he had become keenly interested in honey bees as of late, to the point where he spent about 20 hours taking courses on bees and beekeeping. He said spent about the same amount of time viewing online videos on the subject.

  He revealed some startling information about bees in North America. “In this last year, in the United States, 70-90 per cent of commercial honey bees were killed, and it is creating a massive fear about food production. Sixty-five per cent of grown food production in the U.S. uses pollination.”

 “Canada saw a problem as well this winter, but not nearly as severe,” he said. “Alberta, specifically, is in the 18-27 per cent kill-off of honey bees. So, am I saying that a few hives in Taber are going to cure world hunger? Obviously not.”

 However, he said the region is so dependent on agriculture that a decline in bee populations is a significant concern. Holst said his concern within town is for the home gardeners growing their own food, as well as the one-hundred or so new trees planted on the golf course–many of which are flowering trees.

 “With the understanding that I have now of honey bees, they are not dangerous,” he said, pointing out that wasps and bees are distinct creatures. His slide show presentation identified wasps–not honey bees–as aggressive and frequent stingers. He suggested that contrary to public perception, honey bees are not exotic, wild, or dangerous.

 The slide show featured a number of surprising facts about the province’s honey bees. Alberta is the largest honey producing province in Canada, generating 17,775 metric tonnes each year with a value of $100 million. The province imported 779 metric tonnes of honey last year on the strength of 1,950 beekeeping operations which maintain 303,000 bee colonies and 25 billion bees.

 The slides pointed out that honey bees are essential pollinators, helping to grow fruits, vegetables, and crops. They live in colonies of 50,000 to 60,000 with worker bees, drones and a single queen which can lay up to 2,500 eggs a day.

 “Bees swarm when their colony becomes too large, and resources get limited for all bees,” one of the slides read. “During a swarm, bees leave with their old queen to find a new place to live.     Swarming bees are not dangerous because they are not defending a hive or its resources from intruders.”

 Holst stressed the practical and educational value of harbouring bees within town and then said, “I can’t stress it enough–it’s miraculous. You can’t even fathom what these bees do. Science doesn’t even understand it. It’s unbelievable.”

 Coun. Firth replied. “Your enthusiasm is certainly infectious. We talked about this last time; one of the local schools wanted to put a hive in and I’m not sure why that didn’t come to fruition.”

 Section 7.1  of the Town bylaw allows “accredited educational institutions…to conduct apiculture (beekeeping) programming on their own property provided they adhere to the Bee Act and the Animal Health Act, and their respective regulations.”

 Holst investigated other communities that allow regulated beekeeping, and Lacombe was the one he used as a reference point. Firth agreed that it would be prudent to contact officials there to see what’s working and what isn’t on the beekeeping front.

 Coun. Sorensen said, “Heck, maybe I want one of these hives in my backyard,” and then asked how beekeeping would be policed. Holst said he envisioned an association that could educate and do spot checks on keepers within town.

He said he believed that in Lacombe beekeepers are subject to regular checks which include providing proof of training and hive documentation.

 Holst and town council spent more than half an hour discussing the subject. Coun. Brewin complimented Holst on his presentation but was adamant that he would not support a motion to allow beekeeping in town.

 “If my neighbour had bees, I would be very upset,” Brewin said. “I would not be in favour of one on my street. I don’t see Taber really having a shortage of bees. I think it’s going to be a hobby for some at the cost of the neighbours.”

 Holst acknowledged his position saying, “That’s fair, Coun. Brewin, and no disrespect but I think some of that is just not being fully educated and understanding bees.” He said six months ago he would have taken the same position.

 “I’ve worked beside bee hives, beside haystacks, you drop a load of hay and people got stung multiple times. Bees aren’t as nice as you think they are,” Brewin said.

 After a rebuttal from Holst, Brewin said, “You can’t convince me.”

 Mayor Prokop proposed that the hives at Hwy 864 and the Trout Pond entrance might be the way to go as a community hive location.

 “Is that something that would fit your bill?” he asked Holst.

 Holst agreed that a community hive could work but said he would like the opportunity to keep a hive on his own property to monitor, care for, and observe patterns of bee behaviour at.

Council ultimately passed a motion that directed the administration to complete additional research as to what other municipalities are doing regarding beekeeping within town limits, and to provide a report to council at a future meeting.