City of Barrie hosting events to mark Pollinator Week

Pollinator Week (June 16 to 22, 2025) is an annual event celebrated across the world in support of pollinator health. A pollinator is anything that transports pollen grains from one flower to another; this includes bees, birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, and beetles. Pollinators help create healthy ecosystems.

Pic-a-Pollinator Online Photo Contest: Open until June 22

Barrie residents can submit their best photo of a pollinator in action through the Pic-a-Pollinator contest. This year, the theme for the contest will be photos of pollinators among edible plants. The winner will have their photo featured on the City’s website and social media channels and receive a ‘bee hotel’ as a prize. A bee hotel is a structure providing habitat for solitary bees, which don't live in hives like honeybees or bumblebees.  

Along with the photo contest, Barrie residents are encouraged to participate in events associated with Pollinator Week; event listings and details are available at barrie.ca/BeeCity.

Residents are also encouraged to think about ways they can help protect pollinators during Pollinator Week. Here are some tips to help make your yard more pollinator-friendly:

• Visit the Barrie Native Plant Explorer database to discover native plants in our urban and natural environment and choose the right plant for the right place.
• Plant multiple pollen and nectar-producing native plants that bloom in different seasons to attract a diversity of bees and other pollinators.
• Garden without pesticides.

The City of Barrie has removed the use of cosmetic pesticides from operations and has been active in creating pollinator spaces.

To learn more about how the City is protecting pollinators, more tips on what you can do, and full details on all Pollinator Week events, visit barrie.ca/BeeCity.