November 24, 2016

Edmonton Convention Centre Bees Featured on Japanese Television

Edmonton’s international exposure continues to grow with this week’s broadcast of the Edmonton Convention Centre’s urban bee keeping program on Japanese television. Edmonton’s convention centre was one of six Canadian destinations featured on the show Bee World, produced by Yamada Bee Company and airing on the Tokyo TV network. Bee World is a TV program featuring bee keeping culture all over the world.

In its first year under the City of Edmonton’s urban bee keeping initiative, the Edmonton Convention Centre (SCC) produced 60 pounds of honey from one hive. The honey produced has a unique taste and colour due to the vast sustainable permaculture that surrounds the venue, including North America’s largest urban parkland.

“Urban bee keeping is very Edmonton and we are thrilled to be profiling one of our city’s key initiatives to an international audience,” says Lisanne Lewis, SCC General Manager. “Meeting planners continue to tell us that they prefer to bring events to venues like ours that support community sustainability projects.”

Other destinations selected by Japanese producers included Fireweed Honey in White Horse, Clover Honey in Stony Plain, Canola Honey in Innisfail, Sweet Clover Honey in Guy, Alberta, and Buck Wheat Honey in Prince Edward Island.

“We selected the Edmonton Convention Centre as we were attracted to beekeeping right in the heart of a big city,” says Mr. Tomoaki Fukuda, Director Bee World. “We were so impressed that the conference centre had been planting local flowers and indigenous medicinal plants even before the City of Edmonton permitted the beekeeping in its downtown. Edmonton is a beautiful city and our audience was able to see first-hand how Alberta’s capital city is leading the way in supporting beekeeping.”

To view the segment, watch the video below.

The Edmonton Convention Centre beehive is managed by local Beekeeper Patty Milligan of Lola Canola Honey. You can find more information on the Edmonton Convention Centre’s sustainability program here.

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