Backyard Hen Keeping Pilot Project
The District of Kitimat has completed the backyard hens pilot project and provided a project summary to Council at the November 3, 2025, Regular Council meeting. We thank the participants and the community for your feedback on the pilot project. We will provide further updates in the coming months as staff work on next steps based on the Council direction received at the November 3rd Council meeting.
Project timeline
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Timeline item 1 - complete
Updating animal control contract
Month 1
The District begins by updating the contract with Kitimat Community Humane Society based on the scope of this pilot project.
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Timeline item 2 - complete
Deadline to apply for new households
UPDATED | March 31
Households that do not have existing backyard hens may apply to join this pilot project up to February 9. Applying will get you into the lottery used to select the 12 successful households. It does not guarantee a successful spot in the pilot program.
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Timeline item 3 - complete
Deadline for existing households
UPDATED | March 31
Households with existing backyard hens may apply to join the pilot project up to March 1. Remember, if you have hens but are not part of this pilot project you can be subject to bylaw enforecement.
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Timeline item 4 - complete
Site inspections
Month 3 to 5
The Kitimat Community Humane Society has conducted two site inspections.
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Timeline item 5 - complete
Community Feedback
Month 13 to 15
At this stage, we will take community feedback about the project, and evaluate its success. This will lead to an eventual report to Council.
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Timeline item 6 - complete
Completion of the Pilot
Community feedback received from pilot project participants; neighbours located within 30 metres of participating properties; and the general community was included in a report to Council on November 3, 2025. Council direct staff to prepare a bylaw to amend the Kitimat Municipal Code to permit backyard hen keeping based on the provisions of Backyard Hen Keeping in Residential Zones Policy B-10 and feedback received through the community engagement process.
Overview
The origins of this project go back to August 2020 following a delegation from a member of the public who had requested consideration of zoning amendments to allow backyard hen keeping.
In November 2022 a survey on the subject of backyard chickens was conducted which supported an eventual report to Council at their October 16, 2023 Committee of the Whole meeting.
With Council's direction, District of Kitimat staff is pleased to move into the bylaw creation and implementation phase of the project.
History
References to backyard hens at Council meetings:
Project Updates
Contact Us
Reach out to our Planning department to learn more about this pilot project.
| planning@kitimat.ca |
