That's all she laid: hen pilot project approved | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Penticton News

That's all she laid: hen pilot project approved

The Remington family's chicken coop, and chickens.

PENTICTON - City council agreed to a chicken pilot project last night, even though some residents remain unimpressed with the idea.

Council has been discussing whether to allow backyard hens in residential Penticton neighborhoods for nearly a year. First, they shut down the idea of a pilot project, then enough people asked them to reconsider that they did, and now they finally voted in favour of an 18-month project.

For months, neighbours (who have not yet experienced the hens) have opposed the idea, while hen owners say it’s not as bad as they think.

Neighbours need to “trust that the people applying for these permits are going to be responsible,” Coun. Wes Hopkin said.

As for council, he said, they to listen to what people are saying, and don't make decisions based on who is the loudest or has the biggest following.

“At the end of the day it is not a referendum for people who show up to the meeting,” Hopkin said. “Your neighbours don’t get a veto on what goes on in your backyard.”

There are currently twelve applicants for the pilot project, and all have been given instruction from the city about the project’s regulations, including notifying neighbours of their participation.

But the best advice came from a citizen, and hen owner, Nadine Remington, who was the sole project participant for two years. She said it’s important to be neighbourly and not be jerk— build your coop away from your neighbour’s house and be respectful. 

To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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