In a recent post about a Spring Afternoon in Quebec City I was so impressed with the Bees of Le Château Frontenac, I decided they needed their own post.
Did you know that the Le Chateau Frontenac cares about Bees?? I didn’t! Apparently the Fairmont Hotel Brand has a program to help support bees. From Kenya, to Bejing, to Vancouver, Fairmont hotels are trying to help combat Colony Collapse Disorder by placing bee hives on hotel rooftop gardens and onsite locations.
Research indicates that wild bee populations continues to show signs of decline. Loss and fragmentation of habitat is cited as a leading factor. One out of every three bites of food we eat is pollinated. That means it’s time someone took action – Thank you Fairmont!
The first luxury hotel chain to develop onsite honeybee programs, the program proving to be a success. Fairmont hotels have more than 40 honey bee apiaries and wild bee hotels on their properties worldwide.
Not only does the installation and maintenance of bee apiaries help provide bees with a home to pollinate area gardens and parks. By harvesting the honey, chefs can offer delicious, local and sustainable honey for use in onsite bars and restaurants.
This was all a lovely surprise to my Earth Ranger Daughter as we were having lunch at Bistro Le Sam within the hotel.
Chateau Frontenac was one of the first hotels to take part in the program. For the past decade there have had bee hives living in their rooftop garden of Chateau Frontenac. In March 2008 Chef Jean Soulard contacted a local beekeeper who brought 4 hives to his rooftop garden. The first year produced around 300 pounds of honey, which was used in custom cocktails, select dishes in the fine dining restaurant and a few small bottles for special clients.
Currently the hotel hosts 4 queen bees and 70,000 bees and harvests the honey three times a year to produce 650 pounds of honey a year.
Things to know about the Bee Hotels at Chateau Frontenac
Bee hotels are wooden structures uniquely designed to attract bees already existing in the surrounding environment. They often feature sticks or logs drilled with 1 cm holes that are perfect for nesting. A Bee hotel is a sustainable place for solitary bees (which make up 90% of the bee population) to work independently to spread pollen and nectar. Wild bees are three times more effective at pollinating food compared to other pollinators, they are an important part of our food chain. Like most animals living in the wild, the biggest threat to wilds bees is the destruction of habitat.
Since 2015 Employees and staff embraced the ‘Wild for Bees‘ program run by Burt’s Bees to encourage the building of Bee Hotels. Staff converted an old chicken coop into a home where Bees who live on their own without a Queen can live.
Want to help?
You can create your own bee hotel following these easy step-by-step instructions from Sustainable T.O.
The Fairmont’s Sustainability Program
Learn more about Fairmont’s Sustainability Partnership Program – Click here.
Learn more about Bees
