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CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF NEW WESTMINSTER
BYLAW NO. 6648, 2000
A BYLAW TO REGULATE BEEKEEPING
WHEREAS the Local Government Act R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 323 authorizes Council, by bylaw, to regulate
the keeping of bees; and define areas within which such bees may be kept or within which the keeping
of them is prohibited;
AND WHEREAS the Bee Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 29 regulates the keeping and control of bees and
beehive equipment and requires the registration of persons owning, possessing or keeping bees and
beehive equipment, which regulations are paramount to this Bylaw where they are in conflict;
NOW THEREFORE THE CITY COUNCIL of the Corporation of the City of New Westminster in open
meeting assembled ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
1. This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "Beekeeping Bylaw No. 6648, 2000".
2. In this Bylaw:
(a) unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions set out in the Bee Act shall apply; and
(b) "nucleus colony" means a colony of not more than five (5) removable frames primarily used for
rearing and storing queen bees;
3. Every person who owns, possesses or keeps bees and every person on whose property bees are kept
shall:
(a)
maintain the bees in such a condition so as to reasonably prevent undue swarming or
aggressive behavior by bees; and
(b)
ensure that the bees are requeened if they are subject to undue swarming or aggressive
behavior.
4. No person shall locate a hive within 7.5 metres of any property line except where the hive is situated
either:
(a) 2.5 metres or more above the adjacent ground level, or
(b) less than 2.0 meters above the adjacent ground level and behind a solid fence or hedge more than
2.0 metres in height running parallel to any property line and extending at least 6.0 metres
beyond the hive in both directions.
5.
No Person shall locate a hive on any property within any of the Multiple Dwelling Districts or
Townhouse Districts or other multiple-family residential districts prescribed by the City's
Zoning bylaw or within 25 metes of the property line of any multiple-family residential building
containing more than two (2) dwelling units.
6.
No Person shall keep more than:
(a) two (2) colonies and two (2) 2 nucleus colonies on a parcel of land with an area less than 1,000
square metres (0.1 hectares);
(b) four (4) colonies and four (4) nucleus colonies on a parcel of land having an area between 1,000
square metes (0.1 hectares) and 2,000 square metres (0.2 hectares); or
(c) six (6) colonies and six (6) nucleus colonies on a parcel of land having an area between 2,000
square metres (0.2 hectares) and 4,000 square meters (0.4 hectares).
7.
The License Inspector, Bylaw Inspector, Assistant Director of Strategic Services or other official
appointed by Council for such purpose may enter at all reasonable times upon any property in
order to determine whether or not the provisions of this Bylaw are being obeyed.
8.
No person shall contravene or fail to comply with any provision of this Bylaw nor cause, suffer
or permit any lands or premises to be used in contravention of this Bylaw.
9.
Every person who contravenes or violates any of the provisions of this Bylaw, or who suffers or
permits any act or thing to be done in contravention or in violation of any of the provisions of
this Bylaw, or who neglects to do or refrains from doing anything required to be done by any of
the provisions of this Bylaw, shall be liable to a fine of not less than $50.00 and not more than
the maximum penalty provided by the Offence Act and, where the offence is a continuing one,
each day that the offence is continued shall constitute a separate offence.
Adopted January 8, 2001