The New Brunswick Legislative Assembly installed beehives on the roof of the Departmental Building in Fredericton in honour of World Bee Day on May 20.

This ongoing initiative is the result of collaboration between Health Minister John Dornan and Francine Landry, Speaker of the legislature. Dornan, a hobby beekeeper, offered two of his own hives to promote pollination on the grounds of the legislative assembly and the surrounding area.

The initiative aims to pollinate nearby flowers, plants and crops, and the harvested honey will be used to promote New Brunswick. About 50,000 bees live in the hives, and, in the fall, the honey produced will be bottled and labelled as Speaker’s Honey. The jars of honey will be offered as gifts to dignitaries and ambassadors who visit the legislative assembly, and to food banks or charitable organizations.

Beginning in June, people will be able to see the activity around the beehives in real time from a kiosk at the entrance to the legislative assembly.

“While our hard-working bees are busy filling their hives with parliamentary honey, we wish them a fruitful pollination season and wish New Brunswickers a summer that is just as productive,” said Landry.

Photo from left: provincial beekeeper Michel Melanson; Francine Landry, Speaker of the legislature; and Health Minister John Dornan.