The Riverdale resident whose chickens are under an eviction notice from the city stood up for her brood in front of city council Tuesday night.

Kristina Calhoun told council members that raising chickens is a healthy lifestyle choice, and goes directly toward food security and the city's push for a sustainable community.

Changing the zoning bylaw to allow for backyard coops would not suddenly turn Whitehorse into poultry central, she insisted.

Calhoun said keeping chickens is a huge commitment, and finding somebody to look after them when you want to go away is an even bigger challenge.

"For that reason alone, it's not likely that everybody will want to do it,” Calhoun told members of council.

Under the city's zoning bylaw, raising poultry is only allowed in country residential subdivisions.

But when asked by Coun. Dave Stockdale how many others she knew of who are raising chickens in Riverdale, Calhoun said four.

Some, added the Green Party candidate for the riding of Riverdale North, are under the impression it's not illegal, that there was no issue, unless a complaint was filed.

It was never clear to Calhoun until a couple of weeks ago that raising chickens in urban neighbourhoods was illegal, as some have said it was, while others pointed to the Official Community Plan's support for non-soil agricultural pursuits.

The bylaw department visited Calhoun's home after receiving a complaint about the noise her roosters were making. She was given until today to get rid of her flock.

Calhoun said she understands the concern over noise, and had her six roosters butchered last weekend.

"Are they in the freezer?” acting mayor Florence Robert asked at Tuesday's meeting.

"Yes.”

The stay-at-home mom with a young daughter said it's her understanding, following a conversation with bylaw manager Dave Pruden late last week, that she has been given a reprieve.

Pruden, said Calhoun, told her since there is some discussion among city officials about changing the zoning bylaw to allow for chickens in urban subdivisions, it wouldn't be fair to make her get rid of them if the law might change.

There was no direction provided by members of council Tuesday – either way.

Calhoun presented council with a petition of approximately 75 signatures, and it's still in circulation.

She was also accompanied to Tuesday's meeting by six to eight supporters.

Stockdale said while he accepted and understood Calhoun's desire to raise chickens, he would have a hard time changing the zoning bylaw to allow it in urban neighbourhoods.

The city went through the same impassioned debate about 10 years ago when they forced a Porter Creek family to get rid of its chickens, Stockdale pointed out.

Coun. Ranj Pillai told Calhoun the city has received a good amount of correspondence since her plight went public a couple of weeks ago.

Some people, he said, are clearly against the practice in urban areas.

Pillai said others favour the concept, but have expressed concern about Calhoun leading the charge while she's breaking the law.

Mary MacAvoy, Calhoun's neighbour, told council that having the chickens in the neighbourhood is a wonderful thing, and not just as a source of fresh eggs in exchange for loaf of baked bread, but also for kids to see and learn from.

"I think if you took a straw poll of the neighbours, I think you would find we are very much in favour of this,” she told council, adding Calhoun keeps a clean and well maintained coop.

And if council is at all stuck on how to get around the law until there's a final decision, which would take a couple of years, simply call Calhoun's chicken coop a pilot project, she said.

MacAvoy said years ago when the city was contemplating new system of water bleeders to prevent lines from freezing, she volunteered for the pilot project.

When the city was contemplating the collection of composting, MacAvoy was in the pilot project.

So to test whether families should be able to raise their meat and eggs in their backyard, call it a pilot project, MacAvoy suggested.

Both Calhoun and MacAvoy told members of city council that raising chickens in urban subdivisions is commonly accepted in cities right across Canada, including Vancouver and Victoria.

Calhoun also invited members of council to come and visit, to see her setup for themselves.

By Chuck Tobin

Star Reporter