Backyard hens are coming to Smiths Falls.
Council is set to approve a bylaw for a one-year pilot project which’ll see residents be allowed to house up to six chickens following tweaks to some red tape.
One councillor who won’t be voting in favour of it is Jay Brennan.
Among other changes, the amended by-law removed the need for residents to license and register their hens, the implementation of time restrictions for hens to be out of their coops, and have by-law officers conduct site inspections.
Brennan alongside Councillors Dawn Quinn and Stephen Robinson have been against the pilot since the idea was first breached.
Despite their opposition, a public survey showed overwhelming support of such a program. Seven out of 10 respondents were in favour.
But that doesn’t mean there’ll be hundreds of chicken owners, as Mayor Shawn Pankow pointed out.
No roosters are allowed and hen coops aren’t permitted in any front yard. You also can’t sell the eggs or allow hens to roam in a public place.
Enforcement will be complaint driven.
Story by Grant Deme