Chicken owner pushes back on city livestock bylaw

A Charlottetown homeowner who keeps chickens in her backyard says she intends to push back or at least start a discussion about the city's livestock bylaw.

Pamela Courtenay-Hall received notice from police last week telling her the chickens will have to go.

"In my case I would appeal it because I think it's a violation of our charter rights," Courtenay-Hall said.

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Charlottetown police said they are in the process of notifying about a half-dozen homeowners that their backyard livestock in all cases, chickens are in violation of the city's nuisance bylaw.

City council amended the bylaw last month. It now includes a list of animals defined as livestock. The list includes domestic fowl and specifically names ducks, geese and chickens.

I think it's a violation of our charter rights.- Pamela Courtenay-Hall

Courtenay-Hall teaches environmental philosophy at UPEI. She moved into the city four years ago. But she said she would not have moved had she known chickens would one day no longer be welcome.

"Chickens help people to an understanding of the yard they live in. And I think that having a bond with the land that you live on is a really important part of human life," she said. "I don't the a city has the right to take that away from people."

Courtenay-Hall said she's willing to go to court over the bylaw, but she'd like to discuss it first with the city.

"My first step would be to talk to city council," she said. "I think it's very important to handle things in a negotiated way."

City police said they had been giving homeowners what they called a "grace period." But that grace period has now expired and homeowners are expected to comply.

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