The province of British Columbia is buzzing about a busy little industry alive and well in the province.

On Sunday, Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick and Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Stephanie Cadieux were at the Honeybee Centre in Surrey to celebrate the Day of the Honeybee, as proclaimed by the province.

Photo Credit: Government of B.C.

According to the provincial government, recognizes honeybees are crucial to British Columbia’s food production and the environment.

Because of this, they want to help out bees, by possibly enhancing bee habitat at government buildings, planting bee-friendly plants and placing bee hives at government buildings, including maybe the Parliament buildings.

In B.C., more than 2,400 beekeepers and almost 47,000 colonies of bees are working away.

Honeybees arrived in the Victoria Harbour in 1858 and have played a prominent role since then. Through pollination, honeybees contribute an estimated $470 million to the B.C. economy.

 “Bee habitat and health is key to our food supply, the environment and our daily lives,” said Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture, in a statement. “The B.C. government is committed to doing our part to support honeybees while continuing to grow the industry.

“By expanding bee habitat and creating a healthy environment for wild and domestic bees, we are ensuring the future of honeybees for generations to come.”

This year, warm weather has affected the beekeeping industry in some parts of the province. Click here to read more about a Kamloops bee farm struggling to find enough resources.