With the weather forecast warming up this weekend, it’s the perfect time to take in the scenery with a sleigh ride.
Starting Saturday, Timmins Ecological Beekeeping Association’s Rene Bertrand is offering rides for groups through his groomed trails.
“It’s a beautiful ride,” he said.
“Winter has been so cold that people are going to enjoy being outside in the sleigh, it’s something different.”
Taking a tour of the trails takes about 30 minutes and the sleigh sits about 12 adults. There is also space for a bonfire, where there will be hay bales to sit on.
The cost for the rides is whatever you can afford, but he is asking the groups to understand that it takes about $20 in fuel. The money raised through the sleigh rides is help keep beekeeping alive in Timmins.
Last month, Bertrand’s beekeeping equipment and tools were burned in a garage fire.
While the hives are OK, he estimates it will take at least $10,000 to replace the equipment and restart TEBA in the spring. That would allow him to secure a safe place to clean the hives and keep tools. He also needs cleaning tools and suits to check the hives.
“All I hope is that I raise enough money so that I can guarantee myself that I can restart in the spring,” he said.
The TEBA research and education centre opened five years ago and allows people to learn about bees, see the research apiary, and sample local honey.
Each year, Bertrand said about 1,000 people stop by.
“Kids are really interested when you open the hive and see the bees,” he said.
In the time it’s been open, he has been learning through experience about keeping honeybees in the region, and sharing the lessons.
He explained bees here can't work like the bees down south; there are different daylight hours and temperatures to deal with. With little pesticides and insecticides in the area, he noted the bees aren't sick though.
TEBA has also been a source of inspiration.
In the past four to five years, he said at least 20 other people have started beekeeping.
If he can’t raise the cash to re-open this spring, his work with schools or taking calls to help won’t stop.
“I’ll never stop,” he said. “It’s important for our region.”
TEBA is located on Pine Street South. To book a sleigh ride, call 705-465-1134 or email [email protected].
