The number of beekeepers in Canada is on the rise, with British Columbia and Ontario leading the way in growth over the past several years, new data from Statistics Canada shows. The data, released Wednesday, showed the total number of beekeepers in the country had reached 16,360 last year, with more than 5,000 each in both provinces. Statistics Canada says in 2025 there were 5,356 in B.C., a jump from 4,300 in 2021. “People want to save the bees lately, which is wonderful,” said Steve Clifford, the president of the B.C. Honey Producers’ Association. The data doesn’t separate the types of beekeepers in terms of whether they are hobby or commercial beekeepers. The agency also notes that colony numbers may include pollinators that may not extract honey. But the numbers show colonies of bees in B.C., as in much of Canada, have increased. For B.C., it has risen from 62,181 in 2021 to 88,068 last year. “We’re not a great honey-producing area, but it’s a good place to have a couple of ...