Something sweet is buzzing above ground at cemeteries across the Greater Toronto Area, including one right here in Durham Region.
The Mount Pleasant Group has introduced honey bee hives to four of its cemetery properties, including Duffin Meadows Cemetery in Pickering, as part of a new environmental and educational initiative aimed at supporting pollinator biodiversity.
The other locations include Pine Hills Cemetery and Funeral Centre in Scarborough, Meadowvale Centre in Brampton, and Prospect Cemetery in Toronto.
Leading the project is Dan Macgregor, known as The Beekeeper Dan, who has been working with bees and educating the public about pollinators for the past six years. He says cemeteries are the ideal environment for hives to thrive.
“The cemetery locations are accessible to groups to come out, learn, and see them, but tucked away so that they’re left to themselves to flourish,” Macgregor explained. “Honey bees can fly five kilometres away from their hives to collect resources, and the Mount Pleasant Group cemeteries have tons of flowers and forage for them to visit and pollinate.”
There are more than 4,000 different bee species in North America that play essential roles in ecosystems and biodiversity. Macgregor says honey bee hives serve as an accessible introduction to the broader world of bees and pollinators.
“You get to see a colony of thousands work toward a collective goal,” he said. “You get to see them up close and hold their frames in your hand, witnessing their queen, worker bees, and developing baby bees intermingle.”
The initiative also includes community workshops designed to educate people of all ages about urban agriculture and pollinator-friendly practices. Planned sessions include Meet the Hive introductions, wild bee workshops, seed ball activities, honey extraction demonstrations, bee trivia, and beeswax candle making.
John Perrotta, Mount Pleasant Group’s Director of Property Services, said the hives support the company’s long-term environmental goals while also creating opportunities for community engagement.
“Beekeeping draws attention to pollinator biodiversity and ecosystems in addition to providing pollination services,” Perrotta said. “The beehives are also an excellent community-building initiative.”
The project coincides with Mount Pleasant Group’s 200th anniversary year, with approximately 50 jars of honey expected to be harvested in late August or early September. The honey will be branded with the company’s anniversary logo but will not be sold commercially.
Macgregor emphasized that the bees’ needs come first, with surplus honey returned to the hives to sustain them through winter months before any is harvested for human use.
“My goal is that once you are excited and learning about honey bees, it opens you up to the rest of the hidden bee world that flies over our heads and under our noses every day,” he said.
The Pickering location at Duffin Meadows Cemetery offers plenty of open space and diverse flowering plants, making it a strong candidate for a productive hive season. Macgregor said the start of this year has been particularly encouraging, with abundant nectar and pollen already supporting growing bee populations across all four sites across the Greater Toronto Area.
