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My wife and I are criminals.



Well, that might be stretching things a little, but we’ve been keeping a small number of quail for eggs in Mount Pearl. They’re so small and quiet, I doubt the neighbours even know they are there. As of a July council meeting, we are violating city bylaws. Mount Pearl has updated its animal control policy to clarify that all livestock is illegal, and they have chosen to adopt a definition of livestock that essentially outlaws any animals kept outside. I think everyone can agree that keeping a sheep or a cow in Mount Pearl would be absurd, but I find the blanket ban of even smaller animals problematic for a number of reasons.



First, I know the city is concerned about its aging population and attracting young people, and a blanket ban seems wildly out of touch with those concerns. The idea of food sustainability is quite popular among young people and keeping small animals such as hens, quail or rabbits in urban areas has been catching on. Most major municipalities across the country are establishing reasonable guidelines instead of issuing blanket bans. Halifax, for example, has imposed a limit of six hens and the coop must be two metres away from the property line. By issuing a blanket ban, Mount Pearl is making itself an exception and passing on an opportunity to attract young families by embracing a popular modern urban lifestyle.



Secondly, there are some fair-sized properties in Mount Pearl where keeping small animals is perfectly reasonable. There are large lots in the Park Avenue area for example, that can run anywhere from a tenth of an acre to a half acre. It seems like a bit of an overreach to tell someone with a half-acre lot they can’t have a chicken in their yard.



I know that after we found out about the rule my wife and I started talking about selling our house, packing up our two kids and maybe moving to Bay Bulls or Torbay. I would go as far as to tell any young person concerned about food sustainability and interested in urban agriculture to stay away from Mount Pearl. I implore the council to reconsider.

G.A. Squires,

Mount Pearl