Bee-Lieve It! Toronto Pearson Home to 1 Million Honeybee
While most people associate Toronto Pearson International Airport with planes, passengers, and international travel, there’s another kind of buzz that’s been quietly thriving for the past decade — the hum of over one million honeybees.
Since 2015, Toronto Pearson’s YYbeeZ program has maintained an apiary of 15 honeybee hives nestled along the scenic Etobicoke Creek Trail, which runs through the airport’s expansive 1,500 acres of green space. The program, now marking its 10th anniversary, is part of the airport’s broader commitment to environmental sustainability and pollinator protection.
“It’s a buzz of activity along Etobicoke Creek, where our YYbeeZ program houses over one million honeybees,” airport officials wrote in a recent social media post.
The bees are carefully managed under the watchful eye of a dedicated airport beekeeper. Their presence not only supports the surrounding ecosystem but also promotes food security, sustainable agriculture, and public education about the critical role pollinators play in global biodiversity.
In addition to honeybees, Toronto Pearson’s natural surroundings are home to a wide variety of wildlife, from frogs, turtles, and groundhogs to foxes, coyotes, and over 20 bird species — including Ivan the bald eagle, who serves a specific wildlife management role at the airport.
With one-third of the airport’s land devoted to open space, green corridors, and ravines, the airport continues to balance modern aviation with natural preservation. “Our apiary is located along the Etobicoke Creek Trail, where many are welcome to walk by and observe the hives,” Pearson noted.
Through YYbeeZ and similar initiatives, Pearson is helping raise awareness about the importance of pollinators to the global food supply. Experts warn that without bees, ecosystems could collapse and agricultural production would plummet.
Pearson’s beekeeping program exemplifies how large infrastructure can coexist with nature — not just sustaining it, but actively supporting it.