The Editor:
Re: He's kept honeybees for seven years. Coquitlam is now fining him (April 4, 2024)
I think that urban beekeeping should be allowed in Coquitlam, especially that all neighboring communities do allow it.
There is no sense to keep outdated bylaws that from unknown historical reasons are still there while the other municipalities allow this activity.
Beekeeping has so many advantages that it is worth supporting.
The potential attraction to predatory wildlife and pests use by Coquitlam as a main reason against urban beekeeping is nullified by an electric fence.
Coquitlam should change the bylaw, allowing the urban beekeeping, and eventually adding the requirement for an electric fence around the beehives.
- Marek Syrzycki
I am deadly allergic to bees, wasps and yellowjackets.
This said, the knowledge that bees are threatened, and that without them we all die, makes me applaud all non-commercial bee keepers and the positive impact they have.
So, yes, to urban bee keepers.
- Judi Gardnner
I get it. Bears are attracted to bee hives.
I also get that the environmental benefits of hives might well out outweigh the hazards of attracting bears and wildlife. How can he just move two different colonies of bees without disturbing their existence?
We have to know, what is the history of his hives? Has there been bear problems with his hives?
From my standpoint, there has been a lot of bear activity in that area of the city. And yet, he hasn’t had a problem with bears?
Maybe this isn’t as big a problem as it’s being made out to be.
He should let the hives be until there are problems. I think we have a lot more to worry about.
- Michael Gatto
Bees are very important in our environment in order to produce vegetables and fruit. Without them we will be in a serious situation.
Mr. Drelich is not selling the honey as it is only for his family and friends to enjoy.
Also, there have been no problems with wildlife for seven years so why is the city concerned now.
It’s time Coquitlam changed its bylaws.
- Margaret Osborne
I totally support urban beekeeping in every jurisdiction. It just makes sense.
By fining this individual, all you are doing is bringing negative attention to the antiquated bylaw.
Most other municipalities not only allow, but support bees, and it is in everyone's best interest to get onboard with this.
Do your research, an elevation in wasps and hornets is not related to keeping of bees, so that is really a poor excuse for this.
Perhaps a neighbourhood referendum on the subject would give more information to public opinion. It's time to come into the current century, and support urban beekeepers, everyone benefits.
- Don Lambert, Victoria
I believe that limited bee keeping should be allowed in Coquitlam such as Thomas Drelich is doing.
If we do not have the bees to pollinate our vegetables, fruit flowers, etc., there will be none.
I have worked with honeybees and they will not bother a person at all unless they are physically harmed.
- Ivan Antonichuk
Absolutely bee keeping should be allowed on private property in Coquitlam.
Why is Coquitlam Centre allowed to have bees on their roof?
- Arleen Lundin
This is just an example of the ridiculousness working at Coquitlam City Hall.
In these modern times, the folks at City Hall still think they have to play God over nature. Surely Coquitlam must be seen as something too dangerous on the planet Earth to be permitted the operation of beehives.
Since it seems to bees are pretty much extinct now anyways, who needs them right? And after watching all of those “B-rated horror movies” from the 70s about killer bees, I’m sure the folks at City Hall must clutch their pillow at night in terror of such a very real possibility in their small minds.
And, oh the bears. The bears will be roaming the streets of Coquitlam in droves as the their population explodes from having access to all those illegal bee hives.
Save us, brave people of city hall. Save us.
- John Abrahamsen
As long as the bees are not causing any disturbance the bylaw should be changed.
As noted in the article the bees are pollinators which is a necessity for gardens everywhere.
- Keith Parker
I just read the article about bee keeping in Coquitlam.
Thomas should be allowed to keep his bees on a trial basis. Most people don’t know the difference between bees and wasps.
If it’s worked for seven years, then give him a chance.
- Jim Schellenberg, Coquitlam
I agree that the city bylaw needs to be amended.
I am a gardener living near the Wilmot Street hives. Our garden and peach tree were well pollinated these past few years.
Bees are a necessity to healthy backyard garden crops and aid in food security. We encourage mason bees at our house.
The bylaw should be amended to ensure honeybee hives are registered, licensed (for a fee), properly maintained and secured from pests and other animals that might be attracted.
- Celeste Audette, Coquitlam
Yes, I believe Thomas should be allowed to keep his bees.
Other countries are needing to hand pollinate due to lack of bees. Also bees are being transported to pollinate for lack of bees.
It seems his neighbours are not complaining.
- Diane Kizik-MacDonald
Yes, Coquitlam needs to get with it and allow residential beekeeping.
We need bees for pollination. Our neighbouring communities permit bee hives and they have bears. A poor excuse! Coquitlam needs to walk the talk and really get more environmentally proactive.
I am tired of Coquitlam’s “greenwash” approach on environmental decisions.
For example, logging land next to Mundy Park in order to expand the works yard. The green alternative should have been to declare those precious trees and land park land, and built vertically on the already existing works yard and reorganized the existing works yard space. The existing works yard was an unorganized mess and terrible waste of space.
Shame on the mayor and council.
- Dale Wilkie, resident for past 37 years in Coquitlam
Keep the bees! There are much bigger problems around.
My brother had four beehives in the 70s here in Maillardville.
- Anne Tickner, Coquitlam
We need to help and protect bees.
I live in a condo and plant flowers and plants every year that attract bees.
- Shirley Barker
I want to give Thomas a proper kudos.
Bees are so important to our ecosystems and with these mega mansions and other structures with no yards and gardens, our bee numbers are dwindling.
I get so excited every time I see a bee in my garden. They're so rare now. I even chastise my property managers and other neighbours when they get rid of dandelions.
Urban beekeepers help supply pollinators to their community and should be respected.
Coquitlam is so behind on their bylaws and prevent homesteading and self sufficiency, keeping us entangled in this late stage capitalism experience.
We can't rely on conveniences forever. Eventually we will need to source and support local, and bees are part of that.
I support him. Keep on fighting!
- Alexandria Bennett
A ridiculous bylaw, considering that we are in the midst of global warming.
Really, this Coquitlam resident is doing everyone a favour by beekeeping. We need the bees and we need more like him to have this hobby.
If there is a petition for him to allow the continuation of his personal beekeeping in Coquitlam in his own backyard, I will sign it!
- Vivian Yeung
Great article. Time for Coquitlam council to get with the times.
There can be limits on how many bees per property so it’s not commercial; however, beekeeping in general should be promoted not condemned by outdated bylaws.
- Andrew Caron
I think punishing someone who is trying to expand the honeybee population in Coquitlam is demonstrates that the city has only done some research in this area.
The important thing is to look at the benefits of beekeeping in urban environments and there are many municipalities who are looking the other way who are allowing their citizens to bee-keep.
The honeybee population is now dependant on backyard beekeepers. Back in the 70s and 80s, there were more natural honeybees around that would pollinate local fruit trees, flowers, gardens and other sites. Due to the plunging population of honeybees in the world we now need this beekeepers in the neighbourhood to pollinate many natural flowers and fruit.
So back then, yes, the bears would roam into the areas looking for food, but this is not a hugely popular hobby so there are not swarms of bears coming in to eat the honey. Beekeepers also know how to prevent bears and other predators from coming into the community for destructive purposes.
Let these beekeepers do what they know how and what to do.
They are preventative, proactive and are generally very intelligent of their craft and are supported by like minded people. Let’s not create fear tactics in the community. Have the pros and cons of such an activity and let the residents vote on it. Why allow another political process chose what should be done or not with this.
Beekeepers are only doing good for the world. If we don’t have bees believe it or not we won’t have the food we are so used to. If people don’t think this will happen, it will if we decide to rid our community of one more eco-friendly activity in Coquitlam.
Please put it to the people and let the intelligent people educate others about the benefits of having community honeybees.
- Karen White
Bees improve biodiversity and sustainability of agriculture. Shame on the City of Coquitlam for interfering with the food chain.
At least one-third of the world’s food supply for humans depend on the bees. Why don't we all have them in our yards? Coquitlam doesn't allow chickens either.
Also, Coquitlam doesn't allow women to hang their underwear, including bras, on their clotheslines. Ridiculous.
Let the man bee-keep.
- Chris Windsor
Beekeeping should be allowed in every nook and cranny of the world.
This is one of the most archaic and irresponsible bylaws.
- Boyd Anderson, Maple Ridge
I just read the article on Thomas Drelich and his bees.
Coquitlam needs to update the bylaw to this century, where urban beekeeping is permitted.
- Lori Hughes
Yes, allow urban beekeeping.
It is healthy for the ecosystem, and the person who claims about the bears being attracted to the bees is full of it.
They only come to the neighbourhoods when people don’t properly throw out their garbage.
- Martin Drelich
Yes, beekeeping should be allowed in Coquitlam.
Bees help pollinate trees and plants. This is very hard job for the taker of the bees.
If they disappear, who is going to pollinate the trees and plants?
I'm wondering if the City of Coquitlam will do bees’ job?
- Elzbieta Drelich
