Richmond Hill won’t let Toronto enjoy its Bee City accolades alone.

The suburb’s Hillcrest Mall has just become what’s believed to be the first Canadian shopping centre to install beehives on its roof, in an effort to protect pollinators and encourage more bee farming in the communities.

“This is our way of taking environmental concerns one step further,” said Hillcrest’s marketing director Lisa Resnic, noting the project adds to the centre’s existing sustainability policies. “The story in the beginning was about the lack of bees and how we as a society are losing them, but now it’s about keeping them healthy. It’s exciting.”

The two hives are part of the mall’s green roof, and have the capacity to house at least 10,000 bees each. They’re expected to produce about 200 small jars of honey, which the mall management will probably donate as part of its community outreach or use it to create an indoor honey market, Resnic said.

Apiarists across Canada have been decrying the decline in bee population, mainly blaming the use of pesticides in the agricultural businesses.

The Hillcrest initiative comes months after Toronto received an official Bee City designation, affirming its commitment to protecting over 300 species of bees and other pollinators. But city staff recently advised against creating an apiary on the rooftop garden of City Hall, citing design and density challenges.

“Too bad. I think they’re missing out on something really nice,” said Resnic, adding urban bee farming shouldn’t cause any safety concerns. “Honey bees are typically very docile, and I hope this fun project starts a trend.”

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