The latest buzz surrounding Portage and Main is shaping up to be a sweet deal for all involved.

The Fairmont Winnipeg has partnered with local company Beeproject Apiaries to place two hives on its rooftop in mid- to late-May, with the honey to be harvested for use in its restaurant and lounge.

"It's something we've wanted to do for a long time," marketing manager Pascale Rocher said. "Now we can finally go ahead."

A number of other Fairmont hotels and resorts have rooftop honey programs, but the sticking point here was a city zoning bylaw which was amended Feb. 24 to allow beehives on the rooftop of downtown buildings.

The Fairmont installed a bee "hotel" last year that allowed solitary bees to check in, but are excited to take the next step with a local, sustainable company to help pollinate surrounding gardens, parks and the like.

"If we don't start actively doing something, we're going to lose the bees. And then we're not just going to lose the honey, it'll be massive repercussions," she said. "We're really hoping other businesses come on board as well so that we do have this network of downtown hives."

There are about 100 hives in the city's residential areas which are permitted because they were in place prior to the bylaw. Both U of M and U of W have had programs, as educational institutions are exempt. The Hotel Fort Garry was front and centre during the bylaw amendment process and had requested five hives last May.

Beeproject Apiaries owner Chris Kirouac said Manitoba Hydro Place and the Alt Hotel are on board with his company for their own hives, with a few others expressing interest.

"It looks like it'll be a handful of sites. It's very exciting. I think it adds a lot of interest and character to downtown," he said.

Kirouac began the company in 2009 as an experiment with hives in the Dugald area, moving them to Gimli when the family bought a farm in the area. He and his wife Lindsay, both nurses, now maintain 140 hives.

There are advantages to urban beekeeping, such as fewer pesticides and predators as well as a longer season due to the warmth and wind protection cities provide. On the other side of it, there just aren't as many flowers and gardens around, meaning less production. An urban hive will produce about 25 kilograms per season, while in the country that number can triple.

"Our biggest goal in all this is to increase public awareness of pollinators and the whole importance of pollination," Kirouac said.

He said public fears surrounding bees tend to be based on their experiences with the more aggressive wasp.