Burns Lake residents wanting to get some backyard animals will have to wait for the changes in zoning bylaw to take place, according to the village’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
Last year, on May 19 during a council meeting, the motion to allow backyard animals was passed after the survey “The Great Chicken Survey” was conducted to determine the interest of residents in having backyard animals. At the time, while the motion had passed, there were no next steps in sight and the village staff was to wait for guidelines from the council on the next steps.
Last week, CAO Sheryl Worthing told Lakes District News that the village will be address this topic when they review and update the zoning bylaw. The village is currently awaiting a grant funding to help with the process.
Of the 174 people who responded to the survey, a majority supported the idea of having chicken, bees and/or rabbits in the backyard. Responses varied with supporting pouring in for the initiative due to an increased awareness through the Covid-19 restrictions, leading to a growing need for sustainable solutions, to just wanting such animals out of pure love for them.
The survey went on the quiz residents about the several different possibilities of having backyard animals or a combination of such animals. While the survey served to gauge what residents felt about having backyard animals in general, it also highlighted that it would only be possible under strict conditions such as mandatory registration of owners of such backyard animals with the village, no onsite slaughtering, no profits earned or sale allowed after keeping such animals, etc.
So far, the village hasn’t received any word on when the grant funding would be announced. This isn’t an assured grant either and the village will have to revisit its next steps in case the grant funding doesn’t come through, according to Worthing.
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Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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