Last week, Peace River—Westlock MP Arnold Viersen hosted beekeepers from across five provinces at Parliament Hill to highlight the critical role of beekeepers in Canadian agriculture.
Viersen was joined by Mike Paradis, Canadian Beekeepers Federation president and owner of Paradis Honey, an apiary near Girouxville; Curtis Miedema, Alberta Beekeepers Commission president and owner of Miedema Honey outside Barrhead; and Owen Miedema, Curtis’s son and one of the youngest beekeepers in Canada. Officials say the full delegation represented 10 per cent of Canada’s commercial honey production.
“As the MP representing the ‘Honey Capital of Canada,’ I am honoured to support our incredible beekeepers. Alberta produces almost half of Canada’s honey, and 50 per cent of that comes from Peace River—Westlock,” said Viersen. “But more importantly, I know that bees and beekeepers have an essential role in the success of our food and agriculture sectors in every part of Canada. One of every three bites on your plate is a result of bee pollination.”
On Monday, Nov. 24, beekeepers met with U.S. and Mexican embassies to discuss cross-border and trade issues affecting beekeepers. Later that evening, the first Honey on the Hill Reception was held to celebrate the Canadian beekeeping industry.
The next day, Viersen arranged a press conference with the Alberta Beekeepers Commission and the Canadian Beekeepers Federation to highlight the challenges Canadian beekeepers face, such as maintaining colony health, accessing replacement honeybee stock, competing with fraudulent imports and ensuring skilled seasonal labourers.
“Honey bees are the backbone of Canada’s food system and the economic value of pollinated crops in Canada, driven primarily by honey bee pollination, is $7 billion annually,” commented Curtis Miedema. “Yet the beekeeping industry’s viability has been severely undermined by a pattern of detrimental decisions and a lack of meaningful engagement between the commercial beekeeping industry and federal regulators.”
Beekeepers from across the five provinces are calling for immediate government intervention to implement a collaborative framework addressing failures in stock replacement, honey adulteration and access to essential treatments, and to maintain the SAWP and AG Stream programs.
