London beekeepers forced to remove backyard hive

A London woman is lobbying the provincial government to relax what she calls "outdated" laws prohibiting urban beehives.

Becky Ellis launched an online petition last week, calling on Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal to change Ontario lawsthat preventbeehives within 30 metres of any property line.

Ellis and fellow beekeeper Sean Kaiser were ordered by the ministry to remove their hive from their backyard in the London suburban neighbourhood of Byron.

As a student of urban agriculture, Ellis is part of a growing movement of Canadians keeping backyard, small-scale beehives. Though most of them operate in secret, Ellis has always been open about her hives.

"I always wondered if being so open about it would get me in trouble and, in the end, it did," she said. "I think it's a shame people have to do it in hiding because they don't want to be in violation of this bylaw."

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Ellis and Kaiser set up the hives in 2014, despite knowing about the provincial rules, which are typically only enforced when someone makes a complaint.

"We were notified three weeks ago that someone complained about our bees and that we had to move them," Ellis told CBC's Afternoon Drive.

A ministry spokesman confirmed staff inspected Ellis' hives in early May. The ministryreceives about five complaints about beehives in people's yards.

Ellis plans to move her hives to a new home by May 28. She hopes her petition will help change Ontario's laws, allowing residents to keep bees in their backyards.