Gatineau council contemplates allowing backyard chickens and bees

Gatineau residents could soon collect their own eggs and make their own honey if councillors agree to change the city's laws.

A proposal to allow urban chickens and bees is headed to city council Feb. 14.

It would allow 10 community-based urban chicken coops, 40 chicken coops at individual urban homes and 15 beekeeping projects, as long as they were for recreational reasons, educational reasons or their products were only for personal consumption.

People running them would have to follow as-yet-determined regulations, including how many bees and chickens could be in one place.

In March 2016, the city looked at changing its urban agriculture laws to getmore community gardens and small urban farms such as backyard chicken coops.

Ottawa doesn't currently allow urbanchickens, but they are allowed in Kingston.