The Town of Kingsville has been designated a Canadian Bee City, following their application to be a part of Bee City Canada back in the fall.
Kingsville was the 60th Canadian community to receive such distinction, and it’s also the most southernly.
As a national Bee City, the town has committed to pollinator plantings, including selecting native plants in municipal projects and making green spaces attractive to bees.
Director Vicki Wojcik says people would be surprised about just how important bees and pollination are to our everyday lives.
"About a third of the food that we eat everyday, 80% of the crops we grow, and 80% of the flowers and trees that you see outside wouldn't be there without bees," she stated.
Wojcik says the Canadian Bee City designation is a fantastic way for municipalities to get together to help bees and other pollinators.
"One of the number one factors that's impacting bees and other pollinators is they're losing habitat," she continued. "So the main thing that Bee City's do is they look at how they can help provide this habitat within the city."
She says Kingsville has some really creative initiatives underway or planned related to the designation.
"Planting community gardens, a really great tree planting program and just a lot of outreach. There's three things we ask Bee City's to do. I just said the first one, plant that habitat, then let people know they're living in a Bee City and how important bees are. And lastly have a little fun with it, so celebrate."
Bee City Canada is a program of Pollinator Partnership Canada, a federally recognized charitable organization.
- with files from AM800's The Morning Drive and CTV Windsor