Sioux Lookout the latest northwestern Ontario community to explore backyard chickens

Another community in northwestern Ontario is grappling with how to potentially manage backyard chickens within city limits.

"There's been some issues come forward," said Ann Mitchell, the CAO in Sioux Lookout, Ont., noting that there have been concerns about people keeping chickens on lots that are too small, ortoo close to a neighbour's property line.

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Town hall officials said they want homeowners in the municipality to share their opinion on the backyard birds through an online survey, adding that there's a lot of interest in keeping chickens, while also keeping neighbours happy.

The issue has been under consideration for about a year now when Mitchell put out a fact sheet on what the town was trying to accomplish with the rules refresh.

"It falls under our animal bylaw," she said.

"A lot of different municipalities are actually doing a specific keeping of chickens bylaw. I don't know if we're going to go that far, we'll see how the data comes back from the survey."

Thunder Bay city councillors rejected proposed bylaw amendments in July, 2016 that would have allowed chickens within city limits, under a number of conditions. Council heard a number of arguments for and against the proposal throughout a lengthy process.

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In Sioux Lookout, Mitchell said, people seem to support the urban poultry.

"The early indicators are the people who have answered the survey so far feel like this will be sufficient enough, and they don't want more time, or staff time, spent on this past the survey," she said.

The responses from the community are scheduled to be put into a staff report to go to council, Mitchell said, adding that the issue is a timely one, given that Sioux Lookout is also in the midst of updating its official plan and zoning by-laws.

Mitchell estimated that about 100 people have backyard chickens in the municipality.