In his Financial Post column titled “Beekeepers blaming pesticides for bee losses could face bigger losses in court”, Paul Driessen writes: 

 “The lawyers have cobbled together a few Ontario beekeepers, but advertise in their announcement that they are looking for more plaintiffs from all provinces.” 

Mr. Driessen goes on to imply beekeepers involved in this lawsuit are hobby beekeepers who don’t depend on bees for their livelihoods. 

This is misleading. The lawsuit was initiated by two third generation beekeepers who each manage more than 1500 hives. The father’s of both beekeepers received Canada’s highest beekeeping honour for their service to our industry (2008 Roger Congdon , 2010 Howard Bryans) . Mr. Driessen could have more accurately labelled these beekeepers as “industry leaders” rather than “hobby beekeeper”.

One of the plaintiffs was interviewed by CBC radio. See:

http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/episode/2014/09/04/thursday-nato-critic-honeybees-lawsuit-sock-swalling-dog-and-more/

Click on Part Two to hear the interview.  Following the beekeeper interview there is a story about two 70 year old guys discovering they were separated at birth. Sometimes I wonder if there are bee-lrs like that. Not thinking of anyone in particular though.

Also see: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/canadian-beekeepers-sue-bayer-and-syngenta-over-neonicotinoid-pesticides-1.2754441

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