The BC government is celebrating honey bees and their contribution to the province's economic growth.
Agriculture Minister Lana Popham joined with representatives of the honey bee industry on the lawn of the legislature today (Tuesday) saying BC bees are falling on hard times.
"Bees have a struggle, and it’s in our own best interest to learn how we can help them with that struggle."
Bill Fosdick, president of the Capital Region Beekeepers Association says the government's $100,000 of funding will help address some of the issues with honey bees in the province.
"When you're up against pesticides, herbicides and a variety of things, we're looking for ways to prolong the lives of bees and to make them healthy and that research money will really help to drive some of our projects forward."
As pollinators of crops, bees contribute an estimated $538 million to the economy in the province.
The BeeBC program will provide funding to smaller-scale community-based projects that support the health of B.C.'s bees.