Bee Boulevard Calgary

Your voice matters! Join the conversation by contacting your councillor and Mayor's office, and expressing your thoughts on this vital subject.

Hello David:

Thank you for reaching out to Mayor Farkas regarding your continuing concern focused on the bee corridor that was attempted and, as I understand, inadvertently sprayed and killed along the medians of Canyon Meadows BV SE.

There has been extensive correspondence on this subject going back many years between you and the previous Council members. Could you please tell me what your current expectations are regarding this matter?

Many thanks,

Lois Walsh, Citizen Liaison
Office of the Mayor, The City of Calgary

I would like it to be rebuilt. Better than before. With experts at U of C, and my contacts across Canada and US
I had 350 students from three local schools out planting for Bees and especially for Monarch butterfly s not on the median but adjacent. With plants donated by the David Suzuki Foundation But seeing .6 ha of native salt and drought tolerant plants get killed in its first growing season hurt us all

Regards
Dave

Thank you for at least taking the time to respond. While I appreciate that you were the only office to reply to my inquiries, I must express disappointment that others, including those in positions of responsibility, have chosen not to engage at all.

I would like to reiterate several key facts for the record:

In 2016, I led a $100,000 pollinator initiative for the City, known as the “Bee Boulevard” project, involving the restoration of 0.6 hectares of medians with native plants. This included the addition of custom soil amendments based on over 30 years of experience in golf course management and ecological restoration, along with partnerships involving ALCLA Native Plants, the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University,the David Suzuki Foundation, and several North American bee research organizations.

In early 2017, the University of Calgary identified two endangered native bee species within the restored area.

Despite this discovery, the Roads Department authorized the spraying of all 0.6 hectares with Roundup in August 2017, effectively destroying a unique urban habitat.

Following this, $650,000 was spent on a separate pollinator corridor along 16th Avenue — a project I believe was poorly located and managed, with limited ecological value due to its distance from water sources.

You are correct in stating I do not reside in Ward 13, but I have lived in Calgary since 1968. My long-standing involvement in land management and native ecology reflects a sincere commitment to the well-being of our city and its ecosystems — not a personal grievance.

While you have provided responses in the past, the core issue remains unresolved. The destruction of an endangered species habitat deserves more attention and accountability than it has received.

I remain disappointed that this matter appears to have been dismissed by both City staff and Council, and I am now left to conclude that there is a lack of political will to address what could have been a model for sustainable urban planning.

Sincerely,

David

On Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 7:19 PM CLWARD13 - Patrick Poilievre wrote:
Hello David,



Thank you for your email. Perhaps I should remind you that I was the only person out of all the ward offices to assist you in any way with your inquiry (and I’m not even sure you are a Ward 13 resident). I’ve dealt with Parks numerous times on this issue and collected as much information as I possibly could. This marks at least the fifth occasion that you have been unnecessarily adversarial towards me despite my efforts to assist you in getting responses.



Given the repeated and unnecessary adversarial nature of your communications with me on this issue, I will no longer be seeking further information on your behalf. I hope you are able to achieve successful resolution to your grievances, but I will be taking no further part in assisting you.





Regards,



Patrick Poilievre

Communications & Community Liaison

Office of Councillor Dan McLean

Ward 13 – City of Calgary

Direct: 403-333-4543

Email: [email protected]

The medians were the pollinator project!!

$100,000 well wasted on removing dead trees, adding numerous soil amendments, seed grow by a local native seed grower, hand seeded, .6 hectares sprayed and killed in August of its first growing season!!

Thanks for getting us in this group of killing bees and bee habitat

The Wilsonville Bee Kill | Xerces Society More than 50,000 bumble bees died when 55 blooming linden trees were sprayed with the pesticide dinotefuran (also known as Safari). On June 17, 2013, the largest native bee kill ever recorded occurred in Wilsonville, Oregon. More than 50,000 bumble bees died when 55 blooming linden trees were spraye...

The median was the project

I have no more words for this
6ha of medians were planted to native plant material, new topsoil, soil amendments , drought and salt tolerant plant selections
$100,000 sprayed and killed in August of it first growing season

On Mon, Sep 15, 2025 at 11:51 AM CLWARD13 - Patrick Poilievre wrote:
Hello David,

They do acknowledge and inadvertent spraying in 2017 (median only). Are you saying there were additionally sprayings, or that the escarpment was sprayed as well?



Let me know when you have a chance.

Thanks David,

-Patrick



They spray and killed it all before the first season. In August of the first season. Before the early to late season blossoms were even out.

No one was monitoring the site except me and I did not order it spraying and killed

Some of the seeds were grown by a local nature seed grower

Why not admit it was sprayed and killed

I have the spray report!

Keep trying. I know I will





On Mon, Sep 15, 2025 at 11:03 AM CLWARD13 - Patrick Poilievre

Hello David,

Thank you for your patience while we awaited a response from Parks and Open Spaces in relation to the bee boulevard and the spraying of the median that occurred back in 2017. I have received the official written response that was provided to our office after we met with Parks and Open Spaces to discuss this matter in late August. Please see the response provided below:



Background on the Canyon Meadows Bee Boulevard:

The City has established numerous successful pollinator habitats throughout parks and green spaces across the city, aiming to improve and support environments for pollinators. This work has previously been featured by Canadian Geographic. One notable example is the Canyon Meadows bee pollinator boulevard, located along the escarpment of Fish Creek Provincial Park. This site has been in place for approximately seven to eight years

The middle medians on Canyon Meadows Drive are not maintained as pollinator corridors. There were naturalization efforts undertaken on these medians as part of the bee boulevard project however due to a variety of factors, the naturalization has been unsuccessful and the medians are maintained through regular roadside greens mowing cycles (receive 4 cuts per season). The first 2025 mow cycle took place in May. Learnings from this project have informed future project designs.



The Bee Boulevard located on the escarpment of Fish Creek Provincial Park has never been cut.



Herbicide Spray:

To clarify, there is no herbicide spraying at this location currently or recently. We are aware that a portion of the site was inadvertently sprayed in 2017 when roadside greens maintenance was under the ownership of the Mobility/Road business unit; however, our ongoing collaboration and work over the past seven years has restored the naturalized landscaping and vegetation, and the area’s health remains strong. Parks are not aware of any spraying at the site after 2017.



Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with the above information, or if we can be of further assistance in any way.

Thank you David



Yours truly,



Patrick Poilievre

Communications & Community Liaison

Office of Councillor Dan McLean

Ward 13 – City of Calgary

Direct: 403-333-4543

Email: [email protected]

Hello David,

Thank you very much for your email and for sharing your story with us once again. I’m very sorry to hear of the experience you have had with the City of Calgary and the way that this has impacted you.

I hope that you can find resolution to these issues through the appropriate channels.

Thanks again David


Yours truly,

Patrick Poilievre
Communications & Community Liaison
Office of Councillor Dan McLean
Ward 13 – City of Calgary
Direct: 403-333-4543
Email: [email protected]
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From: David Misfeldt
Sent: Friday, April 4, 2025 8:32 PM
To: WARD11 ; WARD12 ; Councillor Dan McLean ; Ward 14 ; Mayor
Subject: [External] Roadside naturalization


The Story of Canyon Meadows Bee Boulevard


In its very first growing season, the Canyon Meadows Bee Boulevard—home to two confirmed endangered bee species—was sprayed with Roundup and killed while I was away on holiday. The destruction was carried out by Calgary Parks and Roads, and it was quietly covered up. What was once a pollinator haven became nothing more than a patch of weeds and long grass.

Not wanting the area to spiral into neglect, I reseeded it with all the grass seed I had in storage, just to maintain some integrity in the space.

My journey with Calgary Parks began in 2002, when I was hired following Councillor Craig Burrows’ motion to naturalize green spaces along major roadways—spaces that had been neglected due to budget disputes between Parks and Roads. These areas were typically mowed only twice a year: once for Stampede and again in the fall.

After the Canyon Meadows medians were sprayed under the direction of Hank Schleedoorn, I was told by my supervisor, Ben Wineberger, never to speak about bees again. This, after two endangered species were found and after years of native planting, habitat trials, and test plots I had stewarded.

Ironically, I was later asked to choose a site for Ethan Askey to implement a bee boulevard. I gave it real thought and, out of concern, chose the most difficult location I could think of: 16th Avenue NE. There’s no water source there—an essential for pollinators. Still, I hoped it could become something.

When Ethan moved forward, he asked everyone except me about the native planting areas and experimental work I had done for nearly two decades. My knowledge and contribution were excluded, and my silence was enforced. That led to me taking a stress leave. I still wanted the vision to succeed, but I wasn’t allowed to speak. I never went back.

Despite that, I remain committed to this work. I am a founding board member of Bee City Canada, and I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Alberta Turf Research Center at Olds College.

This isn’t just a job to me—it’s a legacy of ecological stewardship, and it matters.