KIRKLAND LAKE - Feathers are about to fly in a Northern town as residents cluck for change. A group of passionate locals are petitioning the town to allow backyard chickens.
As food prices continue to soar and with record food bank usage taking place, over 70 Kirkland Lake residents have signed a petition in hopes of the town establishing a backyard flock hen bylaw.
At the May 21 Kirkland Lake council meeting, Kassy Dusome and Anthony Boucher pitched the bylaw.
Dusome said the hope is to provide people with access to local, affordable and high-quality protein.
“Chickens can also reduce food waste, thereby reducing garbage, and chicken waste can be composted into high-quality fertilizer for use in gardens,” she said.
Many other towns and cities across Ontario have successfully integrated small backyard flocks in their municipalities, Dusome said.
Dusome suggested council implement a free or low-cost permit system. She recommended people fill out an application and agree to follow rules established by the town and that failure to follow the rules would mean revoking the person’s permit.
The placement of coops or enclosures should be six feet from neighbours unless written permission is provided, chickens should be contained to a coop on the property and the number of chickens should be between three to five because they’re a very social animal, Dusome recommended.
Creating a maintenance plan including cleaning frequency was also a suggestion provided by Dusome.
“And then also coop requirements for the well-being of chickens, including things such as nest boxes, perches, the space available and, of course, food and water,” she said.
Some concerns raised by residents when the petition was circulating included smell, Boucher said.
“We believe that smell can be controlled with the low numbers of chickens, especially when it comes to cleaning on a regular basis, and it can be manageable in an outdoor environment, such as the level of waste whether going to landfill or going into bags,” he said.
Another concern was noise. To help with this, Boucher said they’re not proposing roosters be permitted.
In terms of bears being an issue, Boucher said there are other things in town that are more of a concern, such as berry bushes, garbage and bird feeders. As long as chicken food is stored in a container, it shouldn’t be an issue, Boucher said.
The presentation was for information only and no decisions on a potential bylaw were made. A notice of motion regarding the topic is expected to be brought forward at the town's next meeting. The full meeting can be watched online here.