Two years ago, Kay Vaughan approached city council with a request that residents be allowed to raise a small number of hens in backyards.
In June 2023, Jim McCoomb, manager of planning services, recommended a proposed pilot project be deferred for a year “pending more information on the emerging concern of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and the potential for considerable costs and resource impacts required to safely administer a city-wide program.”
A follow-up report from McCoomb for Monday’s (April 7) council meeting recommends members reject the idea.
McComb writes, “While preparing a report for the pilot project, staff determined that there were a number of issues associated with introducing backyard hens/chickens as a permitted use. These included:
- The City Animal Services Centre confirmed that they are not set up to handle chickens in the event that birds need to be confiscated or impounded due to abuse or sickness;
- Only two practicing vets locally specialize in food animals, including small flock chickens, and this limited availability of veterinarians accredited to care for hens to advise persons who have backyard hens on control for health risks is of concern;
- The cancellation of the City of Toronto pilot project citing significant costs and staff time, and concerns related to avian influenza;
- Escalating cases of avian influenza in the southwestern Ontario region.”
He concluded, “statistics published by the Canadian Government state that there are several currently active cases in the local area involving poultry operations, including in Middlesex Centre, North Middlesex and Oxford County.”
The public portion of meeting begins 5 p.m. Monday in the council chamber at city hall.
Written by Ian McCallum
