Letters to Councillors!

Thank you for signing the petition in support of allowing backyard hens in the City of Toronto.

We are writing to you now because the City is currently preparing a report evaluating the backyard hen pilot project (which allowed hens in four wards of the city, from March 2018 to March 2021).

This is a key moment to let your Councillor know that you support the legalization of backyard hens across the city.

Please consider writing to your Councillor (click here to find out who your Councillor is and how to contact them: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/ ) in support of legalizing backyard hens across the city.

Here are the emails for all the Councillors who are on the Economic and Community Development Committee, which is the Committee that the staff report on the pilot project will be going to on December 7th, starting 9:30am.This Committee has the power to stop the staff report from going to the full Council for a vote (a vote to accept or not accept the staff recommendation, whatever it is--we don't know yet!).

So it's crucial to send emails to these Councillors in support of legalizing backyard hens across the City.

Shelley Carroll:  councillor_carroll@toronto.ca

Joe Cressy:  councillor_cressy@toronto.ca

Michael Ford: councillor_mford@toronto.ca

Mark Grimes: councillor_grimes@toronto.ca

Cynthia Lai: councillor_lai@toronto.ca

Michael Thompson: councillor_thompson@toronto.ca

Many thanks! Every email we write is important to this effort!

Here is a draft letter that you may use:

Dear Councillor ______________,

I am writing in support of the City-wide legalization of backyard hens in Toronto following the successful completion of the Backyard Hen Pilot Project.

As the pilot project has demonstrated, backyard hens can easily be kept without causing odour, noise, pests or human health problems. 

Many people keep backyard hens to ensure they have healthy food to eat. They want to eat eggs that have been produced in a humane way. They consider their hens to be beloved pets, in much the same way as others consider their dogs and cats to be family companions. Keeping urban hens is one component of a City that values food justice, strong local food systems and circular economies. 

Many people who are food insecure and would benefit from having a supply of eggs don’t have back yards. Much like community gardens, community hen projects can make a protein source available to residents living on low incomes while still meeting city regulations.  These should be explicitly allowed along with backyard hens.  

Keeping backyard hens is a common urban practice throughout North America. (For example, 94 of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. allow backyard hens.) A bylaw legalizing backyard hens in Toronto should follow well-established guidelines and regulations that prioritize animal health and human safety. Such standards are commonly and straightforwardly enacted in cities across North America in enabling bylaws.

I urge you to support the legalization of backyard hens in Toronto now that the 3-year pilot project has demonstrated the safety, security and benefits of backyard hens.

Yours truly,

(your name)