Norwell District Secondary School has received an exemption from the Town of Minto’s backyard chicken ban to allow the school to keep a few birds as part of an agricultural education program.
At the April 10 Minto council meeting, bylaw enforcement officer Cam Forbes reported Norwell was seeking permission to keep five hens as part of the new Local Environmental Agriculture and Food (LEAF) program.
The school is proposing to build a chicken coop in the inner courtyard of the school. The chickens will be cared for by students and teachers seven days per week from September to December and then taken to a staff member’s farm to be cared for over the winter months.
In the report, Forbes noted the property meets all requirements for an exemption from the town’s prohibition against keeping hens in a residential area, with the exception of being zoned as institutional. He also noted no adjoining landowners have indicated concerns.
The courtyard, he noted, is “totally enclosed” and “only accessible from inside the building.
“It’s pretty cut and dried. This would probably be the best one because nobody can see it back there.”
Mayor George Bridge said, “I think it falls into our policy.”
Council received the report and later passed a bylaw approving the exemption. It brings to four the number of exemptions for licensed chicken coops in Minto. The report notes no problems have been found during regular inspections at the locations.
