Heather Wright/The Independent

Backyard chickens won’t be legal in Petrolia.

But it remains to be seen if the homeowners already with chickens will be forced to give them up.
The issue came to council in October, after a bylaw officer visited Rebecca Krall’s home. A neighbour complained about their backyard coop. She went to council and asked council to consider changing the bylaw which did not allow the keeping of any livestock – including chickens – in the town limits.

Council, at the urging of Councillor Chad Hyatt, agreed to hold a survey and public meeting to determine what the public thought of the idea.

The results of the survey show that of the 1,098 Petrolia residents who responded, 53 per cent were interested in allowing backyard chickens in residential areas. Thirty-three per cent were against it and the rest were non-committal. About 40 per cent said they’d be interested in keeping chickens in their backyard if council changed the bylaw.

In a report to council, Director of Legal Services, Mandi Pearson, shared the public response and noted that the Egg Producers of Ontario had voiced concern about the practice as it may help spread Avian Flu. If it spreads to commercial farmers, the flocks have to be destroyed. Pearson pointed out the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating a number of Avian flu outbreaks in nearby Strathroy-Caradoc.

She also noted there was not a veterinarian in Petrolia capable of dealing with poultry. There is one in Sarnia.

Pearson’s report gave council two options, continue the ban or develop regulations to allow the keeping of backyard chickens

But both Councillor Liz Welsh and Debb Pitel wondered what happened to an option for a pilot project in town.

“When the (council meeting) agenda was first published, there was a third option on it for a pilot program, and when it was edited on the 10th that option was removed,” Welsh said. “And I’m just wondering why that option was removed.”

Mayor Brad Loosley meets with the heads of department to go over the agenda prior to the meetings.

“I think that was just a discussion with staff when we did the agenda. That’s why it was. It was felt if you get into (that) option, you’re basically approving it down the road. So, we needed an option – we needed to say yes or no,” said Loosley.

Welsh disagreed with the premise. “There’s lots of municipalities that run pilot programs. Some of them end up approving it. Some of them end up not approving it. The City of Toronto ran a three-year pilot, and they ended up not approving it.

“I really would have liked to see in a pilot program for at least a year, and not maybe adding anymore, just the existing people who obviously seem to know what they’re doing…They would have to be looked after and kept clean and everything. But that didn’t happen.”

During the public input process, several residents said they had backyard chickens already. With the municipality maintaining the status quo, Welsh isn’t sure what will happen to their flocks. Right now, the town only investigates backyard chicken keeping if there is a complaint from the neighbours.

“We’ll have to see,” she said. “I hope the neighbours don’t complain, because I think some of them are doing a really good job.”