Local advocacy group Poultry for Prince George is getting ready to launch their first attempt in five years to change bylaws prohibiting backyard chickens in certain areas in Prince George.

The group submitted a proposal for a pilot program and feasibility study to city council in 2016 that was rejected, but organizer Laura Lawrence is hopeful this time will produce different results.

“It's getting a lot more interest, especially since COVID. We really felt that insecurity, that food insecurity... so its getting a lot more interest this year," she says. 

The last proposal had the support of over 400 Prince George residents but was defeated in council by a vote of five to three.

Laura Lawrence has been advocating for backyard chickens with Poultry for PG for over 5 years. Photo courtesy of L. Lawrence.

Poultry for PG plans to hold an online meeting on April 2 to bring potential volunteers and interested community members together, spread awareness, launch research and update their proposal. Lawrence says that while the community has been supportive, they need help to bring the proposal to council with a chance of success.

“A lot of people are very vocal, but we need volunteers to actually make this happen," Lawrence says.

As for support from council, Lawrence says she’s not sure who will be on board.

“I haven't had those conversations yet with the new council," she says. 

Lawrence says the benefits to raising backyard chickens are range from enjoyment and mental health to additional food security. Lawrence personally experienced the negative impacts of the 2008 economic downturn and relied on her garden to feed her young children.

“If I would have had backyard chickens, that would have added that protein piece to be able to feed my children," she says. 

As reported by the Prince George Citizen in 2020, “Northern B.C. is the most food-insecure part of the province, with about 17 per cent of households going hungry before the pandemic, according to B.C.’s Public Health Services Authority.”

While economic hardship is a significant source of food insecurity, particularly in areas of the city soon to become ‘food deserts’, UNBC research has also found that Prince George “would run out of food in an estimated two to three days  given an emergency or natural disaster that cuts off supplies from the South.” Food insecurity has the potential to become an even more widespread issue.

Those advocating for acceptance of backyard chickens say that many of the concerns expressed in 2016 are unfounded and negated by adequate coop construction and responsible ownership. Concerns such as smell, noise, and the potential to attract rodents and bears have not played out in other municipalities where up to 6 hens, no roosters, are allowed. In 2016, then acting mayor Jillian Merrick observed that Prince George is “behind the curve” on this issue: “North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, Terrace, Smithers, Williams Lake, Kamloops, Kelowna - these are all communities that have backyard hen bylaws,” she said during the council meeting. Five years later, that list is growing and includes Delta, Castlegar, Surrey, Victoria, and more.  

Lawrence is realistic with her goals and recognizes there may be a cost associated with the changing bylaws.

“I would love to see city council create an ad hoc committee to look into changing the bylaws and to see if this is something that's feasible for the city," she says. 

Right now, Poultry for Prince George is working to restart their efforts from five years ago by engaging volunteers. 

Visit their Facebook page for more information and details on the upcoming meeting.

Listen to the interview on CFUR-FM: