In recent months, four major Canadian cities—Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Calgary—have joined Edmonton in deciding that farm animals, such as chickens, have no place in an urban setting.
And this brings us to Halifax, where just one resident, who seems to want special treatment to have poultry in a dense residential area, is flaunting our municipal laws.
Restaurateur, barber, entrepreneur and wanna-be mayor Fred Connors keeps a number of laying hens and muscovy ducks on his 30′ by 106′ property on Bloomfield Street in the north end of the city, in a $7,000 cedar hen house and coop—built without benefit of a building permit.
The problem is that Connors’ hobby is not popular with his neighbours and other Halifax residents.
As well as making us live with a barnyard —right in the middle of a city—he is exposing us to the potential of decreased property values, the pesky varmints we call rats, mice, raccoons, allergies and serious health problems. Remember SARS, the avian flu threat and H1N1? Oh yes, that was another type of livestock (swine) and what about that “eau-de-hen”? This is a serious issue. The WHO and the CDC continue to issue serious warnings regarding chickens.
Simply put, the keeping of fowl or other livestock is not listed as a permitted land use and therefore is prohibited under the longstanding Halifax Peninsula Land Use bylaw.
Interestingly, in a statement at a public information meeting held on February 10, 2010, Fred stated that “he did not consider them [chickens] to be pets as they produced food.”
In 2009, Nova Scotia’s chief justice J.P. Kennedy ruled in a case involving Trevor Smedley, that his “pet” chickens are by definition fowl and they cannot be kept in an accessory building in an area that is not zoned as agricultural.
In 2008, Louise Hanavan was served with a Order to Comply, presumably citing the Halifax Peninsula Land Use bylaw and moved her laying hens to the countryside.
Fred was served with a similar Order to Comply in 2010. When he did not comply, HRM did not take action.
Further, a permit will only be issued for a structure that conforms to all applicable requirements of a bylaw. HRM’s development and planning services has no record of a permit on file for the hen house as of February 22, 2013.
Complaints have been made to HRM about Connors violating the bylaw but, so far, officials are allowing Fred to get away with these violations and to duck the hefty fines for his bad boy behaviour that has such an unsavoury impact on the neighbourhood and HRM. And it’s hard to know why. But Fred has stated that he is willing to have a court settle the issue, if that is what it takes.
On radio recently, Connors stated that action is taken in HRM on a complaint-
driven basis. Why then, are the complaints about his flock and hen house falling on deaf ears?
To date there have been no changes to the existing Land Use bylaw concerning chickens although there has been much rhetoric.
An effort is afoot again to amend HRM’s bylaws to permit laying hens, as noted in the councillor Jennifer Watt’s District 14 winter 2012 newsletter and by its inclusion in the Centre Plan consultation process.
I urge all HRM residents, particularly those on the peninsula, to call 311 or contact your councillor or email clerks@halifax.ca, insisting on the enforcement of the bylaw now.
If we don’t act, there could be formal approval allowing poultry in urban areas via the new proposed “RMPS” land use concepts of “open space” and “community form.” Act now before chickens, ducks and even geese—and God knows what else—come to a backyard near you.
Paulette Forhan is a retired telephony professional. A native north end Haligonian, she is strongly opposed to urban livestock/chickens in the Regional Core. Her motto is “No Eau-de-Hen in HRM.”
This article appears in Jul 4-10, 2013.
You care too much. They are literally not effecting you at all. It’s the idea of it that bothers you. And if you think those chickens on North Street are infested with SARS or some other pathogenic disease, you’re truly hilarious. I also ighly doubt those chickens and its coop is kept anything but immaculate with all of his legal problems as well. I think he should be able to keep backyard chickens. There should be laws to dictate only a certain small amount per yard and how cleanly they need to be kept, what vaccinations they need, but that’s it.
I highly doubt that a couple of backyard hens are going to attract more rats than the bird feeders already are. I don’t live on the peninsula, have a fenced, decidedly suburban backyard and am not allowed to keep a couple of ‘pet’ hens because HRM is behind the times.
Infectious diseases of poultry tend to proliferate when birds are allowed to interact with wild birds, or when they’re kept in intensive, high density poultry situations, not when two or three of them are chasing bugs across a suburban garden.
Cities across Canada are moving to allow a few backyard hens, with some restrictions and the same should be allowed in Halifax.
Vancouver, BC
Victoria, BC
Burnaby, BC
Gibsons, BC
Nelson, BC
New Westminster, BC
Surrey, BC
Niagara Falls, ON
Brampton, ON
Guelph, ON
And, now, Fredericton, NB on a trial basis- you can add Moncton to this as well, all allow backyard hens. Make some regulations HRM and commit to allowing the ones who are interested to move forward. There are probably fewer than a 100 haligonians who’d actually take the plunge into poultry.
I love that this has been posted in the ‘Voice of the City’ section – this may be a voice alright, but it’s a very tiny one and one that does not speak for the people of our fantastic city. In a 2010 survey of 106 Haligonians at a public information meeting held by the District 12 Planning Advisory Committee, 84% of the 106 people polled believed hens should be permitted in the land use by-law as ‘accessory’ to a residential area. See the full report here: http://www.halifax.ca/Commcoun/pcc/documen…
“Remember SARS, the avian flu threat and H1N1?” Honestly, Paulette Forhan, how real was that threat? It’s probably much safer to continue buying eggs from professionals who sell farm fresh eggs from farms like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHiHJhqAvF0. The farm shown in the video abides by government regulations set out by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture – thank god for that.
Okay, lets not be so dramatic, let just buy free range: http://vimeo.com/34968183
As a native North end Haligonian, you should have learned by now that compromise is a big part of living in a city. Urban farmers will compromise by not trying to own a herd of cows or goats but people in your position need to give in to something as simple and harmless as a few healthy chickens.
Paulette Forhan, maybe the city officials aren’t as much turning a blind eye to Fred Connor’s chicken coup as much as they are turning a deaf ear towards your groundless complaints. Our busy city officials have bigger things to worry about.
Such ignorance and myopic views such as yours, Paulette, is what makes a city such as Halifax so paralyzing. Rats were here long before the hens and there are a lot of other vermin roaming the streets of Halifax which pose more of a health and safety threat to its citizens than productive chickens. I live in an area which is designated rural when it suits the City…such as lack of transportation and street lighting, sidewalks etc., …have countless grouse and pheasant inhabiting my backyard and the several hundred acres of wilderness behind me, yet I am not allowed to keep hens! Its high time our city officials listened to the majority of its (better informed) constituents and allow urban chickens here. God forbid we should promote self sufficiency and encourage people to lower their carbon footprint. It’s high time this city got with the times.
Cows once grazed on the Common; time to renew the practice.
Funny how she doesn’t mention that she’s Fred’s cousin.
You lost all credibility when you mentioned SARS and avian flu. Are you some kind of wannabe fear-mongering CNN anchor or something?
I am grateful to Fred for taking a stand on this issue. Paulette seems to stand for histrionic fear-mongering, while Fred stands for a much healthier and informed relationship between we urban citizens and our food chain. Bravo, Fred.
What folks like Paulette seem oblivious to is that gardeners (not to mention bird lovers) throughout the HRM are plagued by common housecats, which roam free, scratching in vegetable gardens and burying cat shit in same.
Evidently, in our North American urban culture, staunch defenders of the status quo don’t see ‘free range’ cats shitting on other peoples’ property and decimating the songbird population as any kind of problem. It’s considered ‘natural’ behaviour and to keep a cat indoors all of its life (as we have done with all of our feline pets) is the height of cruel and unusual punishment for these natural-born hunters.
Excuse the digression into the cat issue, but I’m afraid a few laying hens penned in my backyard would inflict far less inconvenience and suffering on my neighbours than the neighbours’ cats are already inflicting on me. I won’t even get started on dogs and that percentage of owners who refuse to pick up their pet’s shit.
Rats? Give me a break. We live in a port city which has been home to a sizeable population of rats for . . . oh let’s see . . . a few hundred years. I’ve already had rats visit my garden. A few jumbo-sized rat traps solved that problem.
Bird flu and SARS? What about asteroid impacts and lightning strikes? Pull the covers over your head, Paulette, and don’t leave the house.
Fredericton and Saint John have both recently APPROVED the keeping of a few laying hens by residents.
Halifax council will eventually be forced to reconsider their ‘do nothing’ approach to this issue. Many are considering following Fred’s lead and going forward with backyard hens whether or not HRM bylaws allow it.
And Paulette, I’d suggest that “you’d better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone, ’cause the times they are a’changin.”
Wow this letter is just all over the map. Calling Fred a ‘barber’ and a ‘wanna be mayor’ kind of contaminates her case with barely hidden personal contempt before she even begins any kind of discussion of issues. That aside, how can she possibly argue that Fred’s property improvements, including chickens, have had anything other than the net positive effect on the neighborhood property values. That place was a complete and total dump before he move into his house. Things are changing these days though and people are looking around and taking care of their properties and trying to rebuild the community. This letter seethes with disdain for Fred and throws all the rest in trying to make an argument stick.
While I hate to agree with her on any points she does make a valid argument that’s the cities by law enforcement regime is a complete and total farce. On one hand they forced Lousie Hanavan to get rid of her hens, and they went to court with Trevor Smedley, and in this case they are leaving Fred alone because they are afraid of him? Meanwhile there are several chicken coops in the city all doing fine with no complaints. The citys bylaw people seem to just make it up as they go. Bullies one day, asleep at the switch the next. How they could allow Fred’s shed without a permit is a mystery as well. They came after me for my 8×10 shed like a bunch of jackbooted thugs a few years ago. The lesson here is to ignore the pricks as much as possible.
Bring on a special ruling that chickens are pets and allow people to keep them on their property!
The thing that bugs me about this story is that this man ran for mayor, yet following rules and bylaws seems to be for other people, not him. Building permit? Not me! Not allowed to keep fowl in the city? Ha, just watch me!
I don’t really care if people want to keep chickens, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t be allowed, but as it stands at the moment, it’s against the law, or by-law, in this case. Until the bylaw is repealed or removed, then he’s got to comply with it.
I’m just glad he didn’t make it to the mayor’s chair. Just what we need, another mayor that thinks rules are for other people.
Paulette, you are an idiot. Also, the correct word is “flout” not “flaunt”!
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/l…
There are horses next door to the museum of natural history. If one is against chicken poop, surely the horse poop is an issue, too.
this article is hilarious. H1N1 and SARS? hahaha..fear mongering! those kind of diseases and rat infestations and other issues only come from large amounts of birds that are treated improperly. Do you eat meat and eggs and dairy,Paulette? then you are at risk. More so then anyone who keeps a small flock of well cared for birds in their yard. Some peoples pets such as dogs, snakes, etc could actually kill you by jumping the fence and biting you and you are complaining about a few chikens and ducks so that Mr Conners can eat clean and locally produced food from a non cruel and disease infested means?
Maybe you just havent seen how gentle and beautiful these birds can be. Maybe you need to meet a few tame chickens and see how they bring smiles to childrens faces and produce the best eggs you’ve ever tasted! I hope this article generates even MORE people who are brave and smart enough to raise backyard hens like your cousin, Mr Conners. Im sure it will, actually. 🙂 it already is!
I feel misrepresented by this article. I live in Fred’s neighbourhood, on his street. I am his neighbour. Has there ever been a malodorous stench of “Eau de Hen”? Absolutely not. I moved in before Fred, the neighbourhood smells the same as it did before. Have I noticed more rats? Absolutely not. I’ve seen 1 racoon in the neighbourhood before Fred moved in and I’ve only seen one since.
I dislike this woman putting words in Fred’s neighbours mouths. She didn’t come speak to me and as far as I know spoke to no one else on our beautiful Bloomfield St. Share your opinion with whoever you’d like Ms. Forhan but don’t tell them it’s mine too.
Frankly I’m more concerned with the number of hypodermic needles I’ve found around my house and neighbourhood than with Fred’s chickens. Now that’s a problem.
Backyards, Not Barnyards. Chickens smell Chickens are noisy Chickens are farm animals and do not belong in the city
I take it none of the people who have commented here have chickens for a neighbour like Ms Forhan.
So you think there is no impact on neighbors? Those of us with prior experience raising chickens know you can’t disguise the smell of chicken waste that has saturated into the boards in chicken coops or into the soil. The presence of chicken waste, spilled feed, undiscovered eggs and “home food waste” will attract mice, rats, squirrels, possums, raccoons, and foxes. Even if you don’t inadvertently purchase a rooster, the presence of any of uninvited creatures or even neighborhood dogs can cause a racket in a hen house any time.
The presence of backyard chickens will impact neighbors and add pollutants to storm runoff.
The only notable related case was R v Smedley, (2008 NSSC 397), where a family had kept chickens in their backyard in very “luxurious” coops. The family was charged pursuant to section 4.12(a)(ii) of the Land Use By-law for Beaver Bank, Hammonds Plains and Upper Sackville within Halifax Regional Municipality (PDF). Section 4.12(a)(ii) stipulates that accessory buildings (such as coops) shall not be used for keeping livestock except where agriculture is a permitted use. The family argued that these chickens were their beloved “family pets” and although they did not keep them for the purposes of egg production, the eggs were a “happy coincidence”. The family had spent $2,500.00 to build the coops and had put extreme efforts into ensuring the coops were aesthetically pleasing, and moreover, not a nuisance to their neighbours. On appeal, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court affirmed the decision from the Nova Scotia Provincial Court stating that “fowl”, a category of livestock prohibited in non-agricultural urban residences, included chickens, whether or not the owner saw them as “family pets”.
Although the R v Smedley case was primarily concerned with statutory interpretation rather than Charter rights, it has provided aspiring backyard chicken owners with an understanding of how to recognize the strict nature of urban livestock regulation that is inherent in every municipality. And now with the recent Hughes decision given on September 5th, 2012, those municipalities across Canada that have not yet legislated permissive backyard chicken provisions may rely on the Honourable Judge Skene’s decision to justify their position that backyard chickens will continue to be defined as livestock not appropriate for urban raising.
Folks that are in support of backyard chickens need to become educated as I was. It seems that chickens stop laying eggs after a few years and unless you are prepared to slaughter your backyard chickens or keep them as pets for about fourteen years you may change your way of thinking. Now, that is not to say that some people are unwilling to do this. However, anyone thinking that their eggs could be a cheap commodity may be dismayed at this as well. Chickens like all other living creatures get sick and costs for veterinarian service, as we all know, can be very expensive. For those folks who say that chicken coups do not produce foul (fowl) odours also need to know that in order for this not to happen takes very high maintenance on the part of the owner meaning daily cleaning of the chicken coups making sure that droppings, spilled feed and any hidden or forgotten eggs are gathered. If this is not done other vermin from rats to racoons will surely make their presence known. In light of this knowledge, if a person desires to raise chickens an urban environment, then an agreement between the municipal government and the owner should be signed where the owner would be responsible for all maintenance and subject to periodical inspections, meaning HRM should draft permits for backyard chickens and be prepared to hire livestock inspectors, the same as what would happen for any chicken farmer. I am sure HRM taxpayers would be pleased to burden the added expense to do this.
She’s a retard, all I have to say about that. Urban hens do NOT cause h1n1. In fact if anything it’s the terrible conditions of the mass egg companies that hold chickens in such close quarters that are to blame.
Hens don’t attract rats any more than our gardens or fields.
If she wants to eat antibiotic growth hormone filled eggs and then complain when she gets cancer from the hormones, then more power to the ugly bag.
She’s a retard, all I have to say about that. Urban hens do NOT cause h1n1. In fact if anything it’s the terrible conditions of the mass egg companies that hold chickens in such close quarters that are to blame.
Hens don’t attract rats any more than our gardens or fields.
If she wants to eat antibiotic growth hormone filled eggs and then complain when she gets cancer from the hormones, then more power to the ugly bag.
Wait a minute, h1n1 is caused by pigs.
I realise that it’s been a few months since this article has been posted but being a Maritimer living in Edmonton for the last 20 years, I take offence to having my current city being named in this article as Deadmonton is also backwards in their policies and thinking…
If you think the maritimes are behind in the times, try visiting Alberta or more specifically Edmonton, and you’ll see the exact same thing here. There are folks here running coops without permission, facing fines and even going to court over it. We even have a River City collective that hopes to gather folks and have them petition the powers that be to make the necessary changes.
Lastly, I did not realise someone’s hobby had to be “popular” in order to be acceptable? Give me a break! This has to be the stupidest opinion piece I’ve read, ever!
PS: God has nothing to do with this whatsoever…
Aedis aegypti.
Yes, avian, and a few other genetically evolving strains of flu are spread by these “vectors”.
I’m not a fan of anyone else’s pet coming into my yard. I keep my pet out of theirs.
Please please have some common decency, people! This does include giving thought to the possible spread of disease that your “birds” may cause.
I know there are birds, and squirrels we can’t control, but there are those we can.
I have been attacked by a rooster before, and believe me, it was no picnic. Yes, I have residual fear..but neighbor, please! Keep your birds penned up and cleaned up after. I do not want them in my yard for my dog to track their droppings, etc. into my house. Nor do I want to have to worry about getting attacked when out in my yard.
Thank You.
HA! I love that such an ignorant person can be given space in the news. Obviously she did no research prior to writing this piece or she would know that backyard chickens aren’t going to spread diseases…it’s the chickens that are kept in overcrowded conditions that spread them. I think she may just be having a hissy fit because she doesn’t want to see the coop…probably a vanity thing.
Wow, what an ignorant article. Reducing proprty values? The only thing that would do that is WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW! Anyone who thinks like this needs to do some research. Chickens causing SARS and H1N1? LOL. Go scaremonger somewhere else. Take your elitist attitude to some other city, we don’t want you.
This man has every right to raise chickens and run a chicken coop. Do we live in 1930s Germany? Jesus christ.
Canada is becoming ever more like its southern neighbor, and I hate it. The likes of Harper have strong support. Sad to say, but I can’t wait for older generations and their bigoted opinons to die so we can fucking move on with the world.
Oh my god. What is wrong with chickens and ducks. they are totally harmless. Get a real problem woman. Id rather live next door to them than to you!
I say if chickens are not allowed than either are horses so the Bengal Lancers/Halifax Police Department better close that stable. I prefer chickens being kept to dogs. Chickens do stink by supply food, dogs just stink and should not be allowed in urban centers.
Wow!? You must be fun at parties. Fear mongering and ignorant article. This does not represent my views. Did you know that one chicken can eat thousands of ticks!?
Did you know that we live in a supposedly free country where one person should be free to do what he/she wants on their property as long as it doesnt affect others? Ive kept chicken before, and I cant wait to do it again. Id rather my neighbor kept chicken, instead of you being my neighbor, you are ignorant and have an elitist attitude, plus very miss-informed about the diseases you bring up in the article. Mass produced and tortured animals are the reason for h1n1, plus its from pigs, why is this fake news allowed on this site, is Canada now the US? If we all kept a few chicken the world would be a better place. Get a grip.