B.R. Johnson just wanted to raise four backyard chickens for his grandkids to enjoy, and maybe get some fresh eggs to eat. So what's the problem?
The McIntyre St. E. resident says chickens make great pets, but the City says it's no yolk and forced Johnson to remove his beloved birds after delivering a note to his door.
Johnston cried fowl, and with his grandkids egging him on, hatched a plan.
Rather than just 'wing it' he decided to start a petition called "Allow Back Yard Chickens In North Bay, Ontario"
Armed with his petition, Johnson hopes to ruffle a few feathers at city council, and convince city leaders to change bylaw 151-93 which 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."
Johnston told BayToday, he's come up with an eggcellent idea, "I'm going to city council on May 16th to change the bylaw."
On his petition, Johnson says "The City of North Bay is not a proponent of their residents having the ability to have a small flock of chickens. Four Chickens are more than enough to allow a growing family the number of eggs for daily or bi-weekly consumption.
"Although the bylaw department is receiving up to two calls per week from residents on the rules of having chickens, those 100 plus yearly inquiries are still not enough for council to change their ambiguous by-law. All I want is the right to have four birds for pets and healthy eggs to eat and to have any other resident to be able to do the same thing.
"I will be attending City Council to ask council to be like countless other cities who are recognizing property owners right to raise birds. Case in point, in January 2007, Vancouver City Council adopted the Vancouver Food Charter which sets out the City’s commitment to the development of a coordinated municipal food policy that recognizes access to safe, sufficient, culturally appropriate and nutritious food as a basic human right for all Vancouver residents."
Johnston says he was turned in by a 'disgruntled neighbour', but has polled other neightbours and received eggcellent support.
He adds that "a hen clucking is the same decibel level as a person talking."
Johnston keeps the birds in an enclosed, heated space. A chicken run is done to scale and it's cleaned all the time with fresh hay added.
The birds are now living two hours away.
The grandchildren, aged 6 and 3, were happy to see the birds when they visited.
"The chickens lay two eggs a day but when the kids come over I pepper the nest by adding an extra four of five eggs. When they lift open the nesting box it's 'Oh look I've got five eggs' and they're all excited."
The six-year-old was especially fond of the birds.
"She would go in and pet the chickens, pick them up and do lots of different things. They are very loving and affectionate animals. They'll come right up to you and snuggle up.
