NEWS HIGHLIGHT
Backyard Poultry Fight
Urban chicken producer Paul Hughes is getting ready to fight Calgary city hall for the right to keep chickens in his backyard coop.
Feb. 18, 2010 – Urban chicken producer Paul Hughes is getting ready to fight Calgary city hall for the right to keep chickens in his backyard coop.
Hughes, president of the Calgary Liberated Urban Chicken Klub (CLUCK), was given a court summons in mid-February for illegally raising chickens in the backyard of his inner-city home.
Hughes said he's ready to fight.
Hughes keeps half-dozen hens in a backyard shed. The hens provide fresh eggs for his family and raising them is a right he believes all Calgarians should have.
The Calgary bylaw violates his right to access to food.
However a spokesman for the city said the city's rules on fowl and other livestock protect urban neighbours from what could be a health hazard and an invitation to predators.
This is the second charge laid by bylaw enforcement officers in Calgary. Last September, Mary March was cited for keeping three chickens in the backyard of her home. She also plans to fight the charge when it gets to court.
Print this page
