NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF ORILLIA
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The City of Orillia is a buzz after receiving a Bee City designation. Orillia received notification of its official status as a Bee City, a designation provided by Bee City Canada, on June 13.
The designation acknowledges the efforts of residents and the City to bring awareness to the need for healthy, sustainable habitats for pollinators.
“Becoming a Bee City highlights the bee-friendly initiatives the City of Orillia has in place,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “We are pleased to work with the Bee City Working Group to help educate the community regarding the importance of pollinators to the overall health of our area and our planet. We encourage residents and businesses to join us in adopting pollinator-friendly habits throughout Orillia.”
Supporting pollinators in City-owned parks and maintained areas has been a focus for City parks crews. The City has more than 70 annual and perennial gardens and two community gardens with pollinator species planted throughout them.
In addition, two butterfly gardens have been planted with species to attract butterflies and bees specifically. The City also has more than 140 flowering hanging baskets located in the downtown.
Moving forward, new designs and construction projects will promote the creation of new gardens in parks, recreation centres, parking lots, and other public spaces with the intent to improve pollinator habitats.
The City submitted its application to Bee City Canada after a request was submitted by Jeannine Hutty, the Community Stewart of Orillia Bee City.
“The Orillia Bee City volunteers, a non-profit group, are very excited to have this designation,” said Hutty. “This designation will provide us with access to educational material and other great resources in order to encourage residents to adopt pollinator-friendly habits. Orillia Bee City volunteers will be located at the Orillia Farmers Market on Saturday, June 22 sharing information on bees and other pollinators.”
Bee City Canada was founded in 2015. Toronto became the first Bee City in Canada in March 2016. There are currently 28 Canadian municipalities with the designation, including Newmarket, Guelph, and King Township.
For more information on Orillia’s Bee City designation, visit orillia.ca/communitygardens.
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