THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy is hosting an Open House on backyard chickens April 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the CLE Heritage Building. The event is part of a public consultation process that will help guide a proposed by-law change in support of keeping chickens in urban areas of the City of Thunder Bay.
Under current municipal by-laws, keeping chickens in any area of the city is prohibited unless the land is zoned rural and the lot qualifies as a personal farm. Over the years there has been a significant amount of public interest in having this issue looked at locally, and several citizen groups have emerged to try and move a bylaw change forward.
Guests can join the discussion at the Open House by submitting feedback on a number of questions related to guidelines and regulations around urban backyard chicken keeping. The family-friendly event will also feature heritage breeds of live chickens, activities for children, a chicken coop display and egg-themed snacks. Local experts and chicken owners will be available to answer questions from the public.
The Food Strategy’s website has a newly-developed section on backyard chickens, including answers to common questions, a gallery of chicken coops and an online survey: www.tbfoodstrategy.ca.
