5 million bees fall off truck on Guelph Line in Burlington, Ont.
CBC
Beekeeper Luc Peters says he's found himself in "sticky" situations before but Wednesday morning was the first time he's ever had police call him for a bee-related emergency.
Peters was one of several local beekeepers called in to help after some five million bees fell off a truck on Guelph Line in Burlington, north of Dundas Street.
Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) said officers were called to the area around 6:15 a.m. to respond to a truck with a trailer transporting bees.
"We're not sure how or what exactly took place but at some point the boxes containing bees or beehives slid off the trailer and spilled all over the road," Ryan Anderson, media relations officer with HRPS told CBC News.
Police said drivers should close their windows when passing the area and nearby residents should close their windows as the work continues to get the bees off the roadway.
"It sounds bigger than it is for the most part, because a colony of bees could be 80,000 bees," said Peters, who takes care of the nearly 400,000 bees at nearby Royal Botanic Gardens.
"It kind of depends on how many colonies there are and no doubt to a non-beekeeper that would be rather intense to see regardless... It's important for people to understand that honey bees are fairly gentle and really don't bother people unless they are bothered. This is a rare situation where you have to keep your distance from them."
Police said beekeepers were brought in "to help get the situation under control" and some beekeepers had been stung — though no one had been transported to hospital, Anderson said.
Peters said getting stung is all in a day's work for a beekeeper. "I'm not fazed by it really," he said, though he called the incident an "unusual case" because normally this many bees would be staying inside their boxes.
Peters spoke to CBC Hamilton en route to the scene, saying his goal would be to try to identify the queen bee and get the queen inside a box. "The rest of the bees will follow," he said.
Shortly after 9 a.m., police said the scene was almost cleared.
"Thanks to the overwhelming response from beekeepers coming to help we expect the scene to be clear in approx. 30 mins. The majority of the bees have been safely collected and crates will be hauled away," police said.
Peters said he suspects the bees may have been coming back from a pollination service — when farmers hire beekeepers to pollinate their crops.
"They are having the worse day out of all of us," Peters said of the bees.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.
The driver wanted in connection with a fatal hit and run on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified, police say.
There are mixed feelings about the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, among people who live in nearby communities.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
Provincial police in Lambton County have charged a 23-year-old man with second degree murder following a death investigation that began this past Saturday.