The Shaw Conference Centre is the latest place to sweeten up downtown Edmonton by bringing in bees.

The centre has put one hive with 8,000 of the popular pollinators under its Hall D patio, spokesman Imran Gill said Wednesday.

“Sustainability is such an important aspect of our building. We have seen it become important to meeting planners, but we know it’s important to the city as well.”

The hive will grow to 70,000 members this summer, eventually allowing the Shaw to harvest honey for use in such dishes as the Alberta honey egg custard tart being served this week.

“With North America’s largest urban parkland right in front of us, they fly in a four-kilometre radius … There’s a lot for bees to pollinate.”

More than 30 beekeepers have been licensed to operate in Edmonton since city council voted to allow the practice last year.

The insects are creating a buzz downtown — the Hotel Macdonald has a structure where wild bees can establish nests, MacEwan University set up four hives on its Building 5, and architects Manasc Isaac created an apiary on the roof of its 100 Avenue office.

The conference centre’s hive in a monarch butterfly garden isn’t accessible to the public. Gill isn’t worried about people being stung.

“These bees are very docile. They generally don’t go near people and the box is in a safe place.”

gkent@postmedia.com

twitter.com/GKentEJ