Some municipalities allow them whereas others do not. Currently, West Nipissing does not have a by-law specifically governing backyard chicken shacks, but before you start looking for chicks, there is a by-law regulating agricultural activities, which also includes chicken keeping.
If you’re zoned rural or agricultural, chickens are a go, but for the residential zones, you’re out of cluck.
“We get queries all the time,” about having chickens in the backyard, noted West Nipissing’s clerk, Melanie Ducharme.
She suggested council seeks public input “to see what the thoughts are on the process,” of revising or creating a new by-law that focuses on chickens. Many have reached out over the years, but those tend to be mainly pro-chicken voices, and Ducharme wants to ensure the other side is heard as well.
Councillor Kaitlynn Nicol, representing Ward 5, was all for hosting a public consultation session. “There are many properties within the urban areas that have adequate spacing” for these birds. She noted that typically, 90 square feet should well-accommodate a few backyard chickens.
She noted that many would enjoy the free eggs that come with chicken ownership, plus, raising poultry offers plenty of “educational benefits for you and your family.”
See: Poultry in motion as Powassan allows backyard chickens
Council agreed that hearing from residents would be a good idea to see if there is interest in the idea before moving ahead with creating by-law drafts.
“We hear from those who want the chickens,” Mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon, reiterated, “but when faced with the idea of chickens in their neighbour’s backyards, there might be a little more input from residents who don’t want that as part of their lifestyle.”
“We want to make sure that the pros and cons from everybody are being heard.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
