It all began in 2008 on the rooftop of the Fairmont Royal York. David Garcelon, the hotel’s Executive Chef at the time, was enjoying a stroll through the herb garden that his kitchen team had nurtured for over a decade. As he and Melanie Coates (BEEGrrl), chair of the hotel’s environmental committee, admired the marigolds, chives, dill, and cilantro, they noticed a ladybug busily foraging. That’s when David had a thought—if ladybugs loved this rooftop garden, wouldn’t bees love it too?

The idea of rooftop beekeeping was both exciting and daunting. Neither David nor Melanie knew anything about bees, let alone beekeeping, and the concept of keeping hives 14 floors above ground seemed like a wild experiment. But, inspired by the success of urban beekeepers at The Paris Opera and rumours of a similar project at London’s Fortnum & Mason, they decided to explore the possibilities. With the innovative environmental stewardship of Fairmont Hotels and its parent company, Accor, they secured the support needed to turn their vision into reality.

Getting the go-ahead was just the first step. Next, David and Melanie had to become quick studies in the art and science of beekeeping. They partnered with The Toronto Beekeepers Cooperative (now the Toronto Beekeepers Collective), forming a community partnership with this dedicated group of volunteer urban beekeepers, who were also working with FoodShare Toronto. With two hives ready to go, Melanie headed off to a weekend-long beekeeping course in Peterborough, Ontario, to learn the ropes.

That beekeeping for beginners course was a game-changer, and I can’t stress enough how essential it is for anyone thinking of keeping bees to take a course, whether in person or online.