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Urban chickens one step closer to reality

THUNDER BAY – After more than four hours, council voted to move one step closer to allowing urban backyard chickens.
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(tbnewswatch file photograph)

THUNDER BAY – After more than four hours, council voted to move one step closer to allowing urban backyard chickens.

A lengthy debate Monday night on whether to amend existing bylaws that would allow for urban chicken coops, if property size requirements are met, ended with council approving a drafted amendment, directing administration to bring back a bylaw at a future meeting.

The drafted amendment, which council will finalize later, would allow residents with a single detached dwelling lot of at least 300 square metres with a minimum lot frontage of 10 metres to be permitted to keep up to six chickens, not roosters, in an urban chicken coop.

Council voted 7-3 in favour of moving forward with the process, with Couns. Iain Angus, Trevor Giertuga and Brian McKinnon as the dissenting votes. 

Coun. Rebecca Johnson challenged the rest of the council table to be leaders in Ontario when it comes to urban agriculture and approve the drafted amendment, rather than wait and be followers.

She argued the keeping of backyard chickens is inevitable.

"This is a movement across the country. Do we have the political will? I don't know that we do around this table tonight," Johnson said.

Coun. Aldo Ruberto attempted to further delay the process, at one point introducing a motion to refer back to administration over concerns about lack of enforcement for those not in compliance with the bylaw.

He argued it doesn’t make sense for people to not have to obtain permits or licenses to have chicken coops when pet owners need licenses for dogs and cats.

“I don’t want balance. I want protection over balance,” Ruberto said.

He also took issue with the 10-metre frontage requirement, responding to concerns it was too restrictive against smaller lots but his referral motion was ultimately lost.

Earlier in the evening council heard from a number of members of the public, with people speaking both in favour as well as against backyard chickens.

Those in favour spoke about benefits such as increased food security as well as education about the origins of food.

One speaker, Brandon Postuma, said this marked an opportunity for Thunder Bay to align with other progressive cities and argued against critics who claimed backyard chickens would cause odor and noise complaints and increase the prevalence of predators and vermin.

“People don’t understand chickens,” he said, adding those complaints are not grounded and show miseducation.

Roots to Harvest board chair Leigh Potvin said the organization is in favour of amending the bylaw and said criticism that has been raised locally has not been an issue in other communities.

"If they can handle size and smell in Brooklyn, we can handle it here," Potvin said.

Administration said there are currently three open complaints about backyard chicken coops with none driven by noise. By comparison, they have received between 50 and 75 noise complaints from barking dogs.

Multiple presenters spoke against allowing backyard chickens, arguing the birds don’t belong in residential areas. They questioned how a new bylaw could be enforced when the current one isn’t policed effectively.

Representatives of the Thunder Bay Real Estate Board said the majority of members are against urban chickens. While they don’t have conclusive evidence, they believe the impacts on property values would be “neutral at best” with the fears of negative consequences.

Angus said he supported members of the public who want to keep their neighbourhoods chicken free.

McKinnon said those looking for fresh, local eggs can buy them from the farmer’s market.

“I would suggest the majority of people…90 per cent of them are opposed,” McKinnon said, adding council more time was spent debating this issue than previous multi-million dollar decisions.





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