NORTH BAY - Jim and Emma Wilson have been forced to surrender their backyard hens. Instead of continuing to break a by-law they had no idea existed, they are hatching a plan to gain favour for the practice.
The Wilsons admit they unknowingly flaunted a City of North Bay ordinance for years before the by-law officer came by to deal with a complaint. They say a disagreement with a neighbour led to the call and had nothing to do with the coop's noise or odour, but rather its appearance.
The Wilsons say their "illicit" operation had gone unnoticed for quite some time until it was revealed when a small lean-to between the properties collapsed but most of the surrounding families in the neighbourhood were "intrigued," by the setup.
The chickens "would sometimes get out and wander into their yard," Jim admitted, and the Wilsons would send one of their six children over to the neighbouring Little Down Lane property to return them back home.
Tuesday, the Wilsons gave a presentation filled with fowl facts to North Bay City Council members and viewers of the virtual meeting in the hopes of amending the current by-law to allow for backyard hens to be kept within the city limits — under certain guidelines.
By-law 151-93 states, "No person shall keep any domestic fowl, cattle, goats, swans, horses, sheep, mink or foxes within any area defined by North Bay Zoning By-law 28-80 as Residential, Commercial or Industrial."
Allowing backyard chickens would require amendments to the zoning and animal control by-laws, the Wilsons observed. There would need to be size restrictions for hen enclosures and requirements to keep them prescribed distances from property lines and structures.
Emma Wilson acknowledged there is a smell associated with keeping a coop but it can be easily mitigated by setting them apart from property lines and by keeping it clean.
As far as the argument the chickens are noisy neighbours, she said "Hens are not loud, roosters are loud. [Hens] are quieter than your neighbourhood dog."
"We've missed the experience," said the Wilsons, citing the health benefits of fresh eggs and the learning opportunities and sense of responsibility for their children that accompany keeping the animals.
The Wilsons cited several municipalities that permit backyard chickens, including Vancouver, Mattawa and, recently, Powassan. Jim Wilson also pointed to a two-year pilot project in Toronto as the practice's increasing acceptance in a variety of rural and urban settings.
Meanwhile, some municipalities have rejected the idea outright.
The Nipissing and Area Food Roundtable "supports bylaws that permit the raising of backyard hens (no roosters) in residential areas. We also support that the hens and eggs be for household use only and that home slaughter be prohibited."
This is not the first time the topic has been raised before North Bay's Council. Similarly, the Wilsons see an opportunity to monetize the practice to cover associated health and safety costs. Jim Wilson likened it to the fees paid by residents for permits to have backyard fires.
There seemed to be genuine interest around the virtual council table. Councillor Marcus Tignanelli offered to follow-up with the Wilsons in the hopes of moving the issue forward.
Ideally, the Wilsons believe four or five hens per residential lot is a good place to start to "allow those who have reasonable space," to keep backyard hens.