The debate on urban chicken coops continues
While council denied one local’s bid to have two hens in her backyard, the municipality isn’t ready to ban the idea of urban chicken coops yet.
The topic was front and center at North Battleford City Council Monday night and ended with half of council in favour of banning the idea with the other half undecided.
The debate was sparked by Terra Karp’s request to turn a shed in the backyard of her North Battleford home into a chicken coop to provide her family with organic eggs, a request council ultimately denied.
Cities across Canada are split on the topic as well. Edmonton has issued 50 licenses for chicken coops in its Urban Hens pilot project. Vancouver has a four hen limit and in Victoria locals can have as many as they want as long as it’s consistent with the residents’ personal egg use. Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary don’t allow backyard chickens.