There's quite the buzz around Winnipeg's City Hall these days. 

A hive of European honey bees has been set up on the roof of the Susan A. Thompson Building for the summer. 

“This hive offers visitors and employees at City Hall an opportunity to experience urban beekeeping,” says Lindsay Mierau, Environmental Coordinator with the City of Winnipeg’s Office of Sustainability. “Beekeeping creates a connection between agriculture, economy, and urban life, making City Hall the perfect location for our fuzzy friends.”

The hive is cared for by Beeproject Apiaries, a local beekeeping business. The hive is capable of producing 45 kilograms of honey a year.

The City of Winnipeg amended city-wide zoning in October of 2017 in order to allow beekeeping in all areas of Winnipeg.

The City says in a release that "crops such as canola, alfalfa, and sunflowers benefit from insect pollination. Inside the city center, honey bees will forage on urban gardens, including fruit trees, basswood trees, and lilacs, among other flowers. These flowers also give the honey a unique flavour and colour when compared to honey produced in rural areas."

Free beekeeping workshops

The City is hosting two free beekeeping workshops this summer. The workshops will be open to everyone.

More details will be announced at a later date, the City says.