Our Beekeeper Takes Flight at Queen's Park
A story about bees, history, and a rooftop in the heart of Toronto's political centre — and our very own beekeeper is right in the middle of it.
Ontario Speaker Donna Skelly recently made history by installing two honeybee hives on the rooftop of Queen's Park, the 133-year-old home of the Ontario Legislature. It's a first for the building, and a beautiful reminder of why urban beekeeping matters. And we're proud to share that the beekeeper entrusted with caring for those hives is none other than Joseph Curry — the same beekeeper behind Bee Local 416.
A Beekeeper's Journey
Joseph's relationship with bees started at age six. What began as childhood fascination grew into a lifelong passion, eventually leading him to become a registered beekeeper. Today, alongside his roles as a Major in the Canadian Armed Forces reserves and Director of Intelligence at a Canadian bank, Joseph tends hives across Toronto — including now, high above one of the city's most iconic buildings.
Why Queen's Park?
Getting to the hives is half the adventure. From the legislature, you take the elevator to the top floor, climb a narrow staircase, and then — as Speaker Skelly puts it — duck through a "hobbit door" to reach the rooftop. Once there, you'll find two wooden hives tucked into a spot Joseph carefully selected for sun exposure, proximity to parkland, and safe flight paths well above the heads of passersby.
"A secure location is important, but the bees are also busy flying and collecting nectar — so this is a great location because it's up, away from the sidewalk," Joseph explained. "They have good flight paths over people's heads and then they can fly to the trees in Queen's Park and down to the waterfront."
When working with the hives, Joseph uses smoke — a technique that's been used by beekeepers for centuries. As he explains: "It's just like putting a blindfold on. Anytime we're working with bees, we use a bit of smoke — if one of them gets upset, it stops them from communicating that to the other bees."
Urban Bees, Big Impact
For Joseph, urban beekeeping is about more than honey — it's about reconnecting city dwellers with where their food comes from:
"It's too easy in the city to just be in our apartment, in our condo, in our house, and going to the grocery store not thinking about where our food comes from. Keeping bees in the city is a good reminder that we produce food — great food — right here in Ontario and even in the city. We've got amazing parks and ravine systems and tree canopy, gardens and backyard gardens, and those trees need pollination too."
Speaker Skelly, who admits she "knew nothing about bees" before this project, has become a quick convert: "About 30% of the food we consume is pollinated by honeybees, so they are an important part of the food chain — and I'm so proud to be part of that."
Agriculture Minister Trevor Jones, whose conversation with Ontario beekeepers first sparked the idea, was visibly moved when he saw the hives installed: "I was choked up for a minute, and so was Donna, and she just gave me a big hug and said, 'We did this.' It's such an important little thing — a little gift to leave, a little mark of something good."
Queen's Park, Joseph says, is an ideal location — and a powerful symbol:
"We've got a great park right here, good tree canopy. I think it's a good central location — and a good symbol of this legislature's commitment to sustainable urban agriculture."
At Bee Local 416, that's always been our mission: to bring the story of bees closer to the people of Toronto, one jar of raw, local honey at a time.
A Taste Like No Other
One of the most exciting things about this project is what the honey itself will be like. Urban honey is hyperlocal by nature — shaped entirely by the flowers, trees, and gardens within foraging distance of the hive. As Joseph explains:
"Each neighbourhood has a different flavour profile because there are different trees, different gardens, different flowers that all produce different flavours of nectar. This honey will be unique to this location here in Queen's Park. There won't be any other honey like it — a great little taste of this location for visitors."
The hives were installed with an overwintered Ontario queen and nucleus colony right at the start of honey flow season — with dandelions out and maples in bloom, the bees have plenty of wild forage. Harvest is expected sometime in July or August, using the standard Langstroth hive system that has been in use since the 1800s.
Watch the Bees Live
Can't make the trek up to the rooftop yourself? The Legislative Assembly has set up a live bee cam — complete with a microphone — so anyone can tune in. Joseph's tip for the best viewing: "Best time to watch is on a bright sunny day. Anytime the temperature is above 10 degrees, the bees will be flying."
Speaker Skelly, ever the former TV journalist, put it best: "I'm thinking there's nothing to do on Netflix — maybe we can just tune into the bee cam. It's fun and it's an opportunity for people young and old who are interested in what honeybees do to just tune in and watch them."
What's Next
Speaker Skelly is already looking forward to sharing the harvest: "I can't wait until we have honey. Hopefully we'll be able to produce some by September and offer it to guests that come to Queen's Park."
We couldn't be more proud of Joseph and this incredible milestone. Stay tuned for updates as the season — and the colony — unfolds.
As Seen In the News
The Queen's Park hives have been making headlines. Watch the coverage below:
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
CBC News
If the CBC video doesn't load above, you can watch it directly on CBC.ca.