Christine was one of our features in Trailblazher Magazine and below you will find some never before seen answers that she shared with us. We hope you enjoy learning more about this amazing woman and her business.

Christine McDonald is a full-time beekeeper in beautiful northwest British Columbia.  She breeds and sells bees, produces honey, and makes a wide variety of value-added hive products for local markets.  She also uses Instagram as a platform for helping other beekeepers build confidence in their practice.

What has been the most challenging aspect of your business? 

The most challenging thing about beekeeping is how weather dependent it is. I can raise 40 new queens and then watch it rain for a week so that none of them are able to get mated. Bees don’t forage in the rain, so every rainy day in the forecast means a day that the bees are not producing honey (we live in a rainforest; beekeepers in drought-prone areas face the opposite stress). We can do everything right, and still be foiled but he weather.

What famous person would you most like to have dinner with and why?

I don’t know if he’s famous in most circles, but I would love to have dinner with Dr. Samuel Ramsey. He’s an entomologist that studies bees (and more specifically the parasites that affect bees) and he is just brilliant and well-spoken.

What advice would you give your younger self? 

I wish I could tell my younger self to stop being so afraid of bees and bugs! I used to be so scared of bugs; even ladybugs and butterflies! I remember seeing huge moths where I grew up (I’ve since moved to the other side of Canada and we don’t have them around here) and I wish I could convince younger bee to go a little bit closer and appreciate them.

Who has inspired you most in your life? 

My parents have been a huge inspiration in my choice of lifestyle. My brother and I like to joke that we were raised in a philosophy of ‘avoiding the 9-5 at all costs’. My family has amazing work ethic, but we grew up knowing it was more important to have time for fun and family. We also all enjoy type 2 fun; that’s the kind of fun that involves an element of suffering. Hard work, long days, and building something of our very own – that’s all fun and games in my family!

Photography by Megan Joyce

MORE TRAILBLAZHERS LIKE CHRISTINE:

• 5 Minutes with Annette Thurmon
• An Unexpected Bloom with Gemma James-Smith
• Saltwater for the Soul