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CITY OF SURREY
BY-LAW NO. 4362
A By-law to regulate the keeping of bees.
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As amended by By-law No. 12268; 04/25/94
THIS IS A CONSOLIDATED BY-LAW PREPARED BY THE CITY OF
SURREY FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY. THE CITY DOES NOT WARRANT
THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS CONSOLIDATION IS
CURRENT. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSON USING THIS
CONSOLIDATION TO ENSURE THAT IT ACCURATELY REFLECTS
CURRENT BY-LAW PROVISIONS.
WHEREAS it is deemed expedient to regulate the keeping of bees within the City of Surrey, the
Council of the City of Surrey, in open meeting assembled, and pursuant to the powers vested in it
under Section 871(f) of the "Municipal Act," ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
1.
This By-law may be cited for all purposes as the "Surrey Bee Keeping By-law, 1974,
No. 4362".
2.
In the construction and for the purposes of this By-law, the following words and terms
shall have the meaning hereby assigned to them unless repugnant to the content hereof:
(a)
"Bee Inspector" means a person who is the holder of a "Certificate of
Beemastership" as given by the Minister of Agriculture, pursuant to the "Apiaries
Act" Chapter 12, R.S.B.C. 1960 as amended, and who is appointed by Council
when it is necessary to conduct inspections pursuant to the regulations set down in
this By-law.
3.
It shall be the duty of every person on whose property bees are kept to maintain the bees in
such a condition so as to reasonably prevent swarming or aggressive behaviour by said
bees.
4.
It shall be the responsibility of the person on whose property the bees are being kept to
ensure that said bees are requeened if said bees are subject to swarming or show signs of
aggressive behaviour.
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5.
No person shall keep more than four (4) colonies of bees on a record lot having an area
less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet.
6.
No person shall locate a beehive within twenty-five (25) feet of any property line except:
(a)
When the hive is situated eight (8) feet or more above the adjacent ground level, or
(b)
When the hive is situated less than six (6) feet above adjacent ground level and
behind a solid fence or hedge more than six (6) feet in height running parallel to
any property line and extending at least twenty (20) feet beyond the hive in both
directions.
7.
No person shall locate a beehive on a property that is zoned RM-1, RM-2 or RM-3, or
within seventy-five (75) feet of any property line that abuts an existing multi-family
dwelling other than a duplex.
8.
The Bee Inspector or any other official appointed by Council may enter at all reasonable
times, upon any property in order to ascertain whether or not the provisions of this By-law
are being obeyed.
9.
It shall be unlawful for any person to suffer or permit any lands and premises to be used in
contravention of this By-law or to otherwise contravene or fail to comply with any
provisions of this By-law.
10.
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this By-law or who suffers or permits
any act or thing to be done in contravention of this By-law or who neglects to do or
refrains from doing any act or thing required by this By-law shall be guilty of an offence
under this By-law and shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of not less than
Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) and not exceeding Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars
($250.00), together with the costs of conviction.
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11.
"Bee Disease Prevention By-law, 1924, No. 262" is hereby repealed.
PASSED by the Municipal Council on the 3rd day of September, 1974.
RECONSIDERED AND FINALLY ADOPTED, signed by the Mayor and Clerk, and sealed with
the Corporate Seal on the 9th day of September, 1974.
"WM. VOGEL" ACTING MAYOR
"R.N. CHESTER" CLERK
h:\by-laws\by-laws\regltory\clk4362.reg