chicken crosses road to get to Richmond, BC
Publication Date:
May 28, 2007
The City of Richmond, BC has just become the first city in Canada to go cage-free with respect to eggs. The resolution that passed unanimously on May 28, 2007, reads as follows:
1) That the Council of the City of Richmond resolves to encourage Richmond residents:
- as restaurants and caterers in both private and City operations, to highlight the support for and availability of certified organic, free-range chicken eggs on their menus;
- as consumers, to request the option of purchasing certified organic, free-range chicken eggs at retail food outlets and restaurants and, where available, choose the certified organic, free-range option;
- as wholesalers, to highlight the preference for and availability of certified organic, free-range chicken eggs in their food supply inventories; and
- as retailers, to highlight the preference for and availability of certified organic, free-range chicken eggs in their food stores;
(2) That the operators and caterers of City-run facilities be requested to use only certified organic, free-range or free-run whole (shell) chicken eggs, and that this be added to the Richmond Environmental Purchasing Guide; and
(3) That a letter be written to the Provincial Government stating that Richmond City Council opposes battery cage chicken egg production based on the inherent cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages.
(4) That staff report to Council in one year’s time highlighting any issues and problems which might have arisen.
This incredibly progressive move has made the City of Richmond a leader in improving the welfare of Canada's 26 million egg-laying hens. Now that is something to crow about!
Contact information for city council:
Phone: 604-276-4134
Fax: 604-276-4222
Email: mayorandcouncil@richmond.ca
Mailing Address:
City of Richmond
6911 No. 3 Road
Richmond, BC V6Y 2C1
For more on this story, visit www.chickenout.ca .
