Ladysmith is amending a town bylaw that would allow residents in designated single-dwelling unit residential properties to keep backyard poultry.
Town council held a public hearing on Jan. 21 regarding Bylaw 2169, an amendment to Ladysmith Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860. The proposed amendment aligns with the town’s Animal Control Bylaw 2024, No. 2167, and permits up to six backyard poultry — adult female chickens and/or female ducks — on eligible properties as an accessory use. Certain areas of the town, designated as "Backyard Poultry Exclusion Areas," will remain off-limits for poultry keeping.
The bylaw also permits property owners to temporarily bring in a wrangler (a person who handles livestock) and goats for vegetation management.
Council confirmed that public notices about the hearing were published in the Ladysmith Chronicle on Jan. 16 and posted on the municipal website and community notice boards. Residents were invited to review the proposed bylaw and provide feedback prior to the hearing. According to staff, only one written submission was received.
During the public hearing, resident Robert Johnson raised concerns about the potential for avian flu transmission and questioned how the town would ensure public health and safety with increased poultry ownership.
Council gave the bylaw third reading following the hearing and the motion carried. Opposed was Councillor Jeff Virtanen. At a Jan. 17, 2023 meeting, Virtanen said that his own research into backyard poultry uncovered “a lot of cons,” because chickens can be smelly, noisy, spread disease and attract other animals. Virtanen also expressed concerns at the 2023 meeting that passing this bylaw could result in additional work for bylaw enforcement.
For more information on the bylaw and its implementation, residents can visit the Town of Ladysmith’s website.
