Finding the #1 Best Canadian Honey in Canada

When we think of honey, we usually just simply think of it as, well… “bee” honey. But what about the best Canadian honey? What makes it so special and why should we get it? What’s all the buzz about?

Table of Contents

• Some Statistics
• What Others are Saying About Honey
• What is Raw Honey?
• But Where Do We Find the Best Canadian Honey?
• Listing of the Best Canadian Honey Sources
  • Three Foragers Bee Co.
  • Meadowlily Farm & Bee Rescue
  • BCB Honey Farm
  • Intermiel
  • Bee Best
• More of the Best Canadian Honey?
• What Makes for the Best Canadian Honey?

Canadian beekeepers produce honey that is not only the best in Canada, but also some of the best in the world.

Some Statistics

As a matter of fact, according to a Statistics Canada report; “Statistical Overview of the Canadian Honey and Bee Industry, 2019“, in 2019 there were 10,344 beekeepers in Canada, caring for 773,182 colonies!

Further our beekeepers are producing 80,345,000 pounds of honey – That’s somewhere around the size of 26,408,607 litres. That’s almost eleven Olympic swimming pools! (If my calculations are correct).
Note: Pounds to Litres Conversion Calculator an Olympic size pool holds about 2,500,000 litres (that’s roughly 660,430 gallons).

I can’t help but highlight one (off topic) benefit (I had not thought of before reading the StatsCan report). That being…

“…Beekeeping is an important agricultural industry in Canada, producing honey and other hive products, and delivering valuable pollination services to farmers of orchard fruits, many berries, vegetables, forage, and the production of hybrid canola seed. In 2017, AAFC estimated that the total annual economic contribution of honey bee pollination through direct additional harvest value was about $2.57 billion. When the estimated contribution of honey bee pollination to the production of hybrid canola seed is added, the total estimated contribution ranges from $4.0 to $5.5 billion per year…”

There are many different qualities of honey, so it can be difficult to figure out which one stands out. After all, I think in many respects a definition of the best Canadian honey is somewhat objective – So don’t hesitate to try new honey’s! To find the best Canadian honey, we need to take many factors into consideration. Factors like the region where the honey was made, if it was sourced ethically or not, and if it is organic.

The top three provinces for honey production are Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Producing a whopping 79.2% of all our best Canadian honey!

Side note: While I am not experienced or even remotely aware of things surrounding import, export, etc. The following did catch my attention…

Canada’s honey trade balance – thousands of Canadian dollars for 2019:

Export 53,827
Import 45,394

We are exporting more honey than importing – That’s a good thing, no? I would think this means our honey is in demand world-wide, and again think this is a good thing.

But… Back to the topic at hand…

What Others are Saying About Honey

Qualities of honey? Consider this post “Sugar substitutes – honey explained“:

“…The health benefits of honey depend on its processing as well as the quality of the flowers the bees collect pollen from. Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurised, clarified or filtered in any way, and this form typically retains more of the health promoting nutrients that can be lost to the standard processing methods…”

and from the post “Honey vs. Sugar: Which Sweetener Should I Use?“:

“…At around 22 calories per teaspoon, honey is high in calories. It consists primarily of sugar and should be used sparingly. This is especially true if you have health concerns such as diabetes, heart disease, or obesity…”

Moderation is key, we need less honey that sugar! Also, when sourcing the healthiest honey, “raw honey” is the way to go.

What is Raw Honey?

From a Medical News Today post “How are raw honey and regular honey different?“:

Raw honey contains specific components that can offer health benefits. Pasteurization and other processes may remove or reduce some of these elements, which include:

– bee pollen, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
– bee propolis, a glue-like substance that helps keep the hive together
– certain vitamins and minerals
– enzymes
– amino acids
– antioxidants

There is a lack of controlled studies comparing pasteurized and raw honey. However, some sources report that pasteurized honey contains few — if any — of the health benefits of raw honey. Because pasteurization exposes the honey to high temperatures, it may destroy or remove honey’s natural properties.

This means that raw honey may offer more powerful health benefits, in terms of healing wounds and fighting infections, than regular honey.

It’s important to read their whole post to get more indepth information!

But Where Do We Find the Best Canadian Honey?

After all sitting this morning drinking a 100% Canadian made tea, I couldn’t help but wonder if the jar of Billy Bee honey, sitting on the counter, made the grade? (Of course Billy Bee is American owned).

Are they part of the non-profit True Source Honey Certification programme? To be sure, this is not a certification of Canadian honey, rather a method to ensure honey is traceable and authentic (wherever the source). So for example, when a provider says their honey is 100% Canadian, you would be able to confirm that.

Below I’ve sourced the best Canadian honey providers that I could find.

Listing of the Best Canadian Honey Sources

Three Foragers Bee Co.

British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

“…Our raw honey is exactly that – raw. At Three Foragers Bee Co. we never blend our honeys with any other sources. This way we keep all the good stuff in the jar which allows the true flavour of the flowers to shine through.

Our bees produce honey foraged from alfalfa, sweet clover, and wildflowers to make a premium honey for consumers who are conscious about the quality of their food and recognize the importance of eating wholesome, unprocessed, and environmentally conscious products…”

Meadowlily Farm & Bee Rescue

Ontario

“…Meadowlily Farm is located in the middle of the Meadowlily Woods Nature preserve within the City of London. Meadowlily Nature Preserve was donated to Thames Talbot Land Trust (TTLT) by Carol and Rick Richardson, who wanted to ensure that their family’s land would be protected from future development. It is recognized as an Environmentally Significant Area by the City of London. Academic Research in the Meadowlily Woods area documented over 60 archaeological sites dating from 9500 B.C to 1500 A.D and includes all types of sites from find spots, camps and villages…”

BCB Honey Farm

British Columbia

“…Each jar contains pure, unpasteurized honey. Locally produced, our honey is harvested from our very own ethically managed hives in farms not too far from where you live, across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

At our Honey Farm, we pride ourselves in selling raw, natural, unpasteurized honey–it’s the way nature intended. We farm using organic practices on Non-GMO crops….”

Intermiel

Québec

“…Intermiel is a large-scale farm that manages the production of 5,000 beehives, runs a 14,000 tap sugar bush and a 600 apple tree orchard. The Macle family can be proud of producing a line of honey which is wholly of Québec origin derived from the production of their beehives, and supported by a traceability program. Intermiel is recognized provincially and across North America for the quality and diversity of its products, as well as for its educational visits. Thanks to its agritourism orientation, it attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year, of which 15 000 are students from Québec schools…

Nixon Honey

Alberta

“…Nixon Honey produces some of the best honey in the world, shipping our products all over North America as well as Europe and Asia.

We conduct all operations within our own facility, including processing and packaging of the honey produced by our bees, and do not outsource. All our products have their own SKU’s and coded containers for easy package date and time traceability. We are CFIA registered and inspected facility…”

Bee Best

Manitoba

“…Our honey farm is situated between Manitoba’s gently rolling hills of the scenic Riding Mountain National Park you will find pristine agricultural croplands, an endless source of natural golden nectar’s. This area is called “Golden Triangle of the Canadian Prairies”. This is where some of the world’s finest natural pure honey is produced…”

More of the Best Canadian Honey?

You bet! The above is not a finite list. Given the richness that is Canadian honey, many others could be added. And if you’d like your apiary featured in this post, don’t hesitate to reach out with your details!

This list contains only some of the best Canadian honey. Some I purchased myself, and others were given to me by friends.

What Makes for the Best Canadian Honey?

There are a few things to consider about Canadian honey that make it stand out from other types of honey.

First, many of our bees are bred for their ability to survive colder temperatures which makes them more resistant to weather events like droughts and floods. Second, Canada’s diverse geography means our bees get access to an abundance of flowers and diverse pollen which provides for rich quality honey with complex flavours and fragrances.

Second, our country is a large honey producer, and we are are very protective about our “honey” product. We are one of the only countries, I am aware of, that has a national association which sets standards for labeling, advertising, and marketing its products as “honey”

Finally, while the best Canadian honey available here in Canada, is without question healthy (in moderation), it’s also a great idea to make a day trip to your local apiary to sample some of the best Canadian honey!

Hopefully this introductory post about the best Canadian honey, raises some good points for your own research and follow up. If you have any questions, suggestions, etc., please feel free to include them in the comments below (or you can even choose to be a guest writer).