Petition calls for change of Cambridge backyard chicken bylaw

Advocates for backyard chickens are making their voices heard once again in Cambridge, with an online petition calling for the city to change its bylaws.

The petition, which was created on July 2, has over 360 signatures as of Thursday morning. A Facebook group has also been created to gather feedback from the community, with over 130 members.

Madison Turner, who created the petition and lives in Cambridge, said there has been a “fantastic” response from the community.

“People have been providing their own information, different strategies from the previous petition; they have set some fantastic groundwork for the cause,” said Turner.

This isn’t the first time the topic of backyard chickens has come up in Cambridge.

An online petition calling for the same change made the rounds online in 2016, which led to discussions at council about an 18-month pilot project allowing them in the city, but was rejected by council in 2019.

That same petition started garnering attention again back in 2023, but did not result in any changes. At the time, it was argued that reports were submitted, studies were done, and the public was consulted.

Turner said while it has been tried before, times have changed and having chickens does have benefits.

“There are so many dynamics that come into play when it comes to chickens,” she said.

“Whether people are excited for eggs, a hobby, or learning to reduce factory farms. There’s a lifestyle with backyard chickens.”

Turner said she has not heard anything from the city as of yet, and does plan to make the case to council at a future date.

Other municipalities, including Kitchener, Waterloo and Wilmot Township, do allow for backyard chickens. In Kitchener, you can keep up to four chickens in backyard coops and have to pay a fee of $56. In Waterloo, four hens are allowed as well, but the fee is around $28.

Wilmot Township changed their bylaw in 2020 to allow backyard chickens, limiting it to four hens, but properties need to meet certain criteria including being larger than 0.2 hectares.

Woolwich and Wellesley Townships do not allow chickens on residential properties.