The chicken, the egg and South Bayview

Wondering about your neighbor? Is he an urban egg producer waiting to hatch? Word that Toronto is inching closer to allowing backyard chickens must be causing a few uneasy thoughts. The licensing and standards committee is expected to vote today on whether to ask for a strategy proposal on allowing it. The mainspring of this plan is Joe Mihevc, councillor for Ward 21. It sits between Spadina Rd and Ossington Ave in the centre of town. Mr. Mihevc says there are a number of residents who wish to keep hens in their backyards to produce eggs for personal use. In Leaside? Davisville Village? Moore Park or Bennington Heights? Do our neighborhoods contain such secret folk? Well perhaps. Mr. Mihevc says cities such as Kingston, Ont., Vancouver, New York, Cleveland, and Los Angeles have modified their regulations to include backyard hens. Toronto would have to establish regulations governing potential issues such as noise, odour, separation distances, selling of eggs, and waste disposal, he says. Let's hope so.