Why did the chicken cross the road? To embrace St Albert’s agricultural roots!
There may be some uproar about Coun. Cathy Heron’s proposal to make urban hens a reality in St Albert, and to be sure, there are details to address. I believe many of these could be taken care of through a licensing program. A probationary licence could be issued if the applicant participated in a half or full day course on responsible hen ownership addressing enclosure design, numbers allowed, protocol for the disposal of dead birds, etc. There would be fines for infractions and licences would not be renewed to non-compliant owners. Much could be learned through consultation with cities that already have chickens such as Vancouver and Red Deer ... or via Edmonton’s recent pilot project.
This is a great step forward. Coun. Heron’s motion on behalf of interested citizens, signals an increasing interest in our food as our sustenance. We are questioning the soundness of a centralized system of mass produced food that adds chemicals to preserve it, uses excessive resources to package and deliver it only to have it arrive in our stores nutritionally depleted. The process is so far removed from our consciousness that we hardly value this food and as much as one third is wasted.
Food which we participate in producing nourishes us on many levels. When we build our local food system, we become a healthier and more resilient community. We are no longer at the mercy of delivery interruption caused by far away events such as droughts in California, intense storms (like 2013 Alberta floods), and infectious diseases born of intensive agricultural practices. Growing our own food, including raising hens, is also an educational opportunity for our children as they grow to be responsible and capable stewards of our land and food system.
So let’s do our homework and keep an open mind, after all, it’s not as if the sky is falling!
Jill Cunningham, St. Albert
