Catherine Dempsey is semi-retired Newfoundlander by Choice, who moved to the province from Victoria, BC in 1982.
She has a keen interest in gardening, raising chickens, and bees. The challenge of undertaking these activities on the edge of the Atlantic ocean make it even more satisfying.
Catherine and her husband started raising bees in 2012, with two hives, brought across the island from the Newfoundland Bee Company in Pasadena. After a couple of difficult winters when the hives died, the Dempseys learned enough to start having success in helping the bees survive the harsh conditions.
In November 2014 a small group of beekeepers from across the province started talking, and formed the Newfoundland and Labrador Beekeeping Association. Catherine was one of the founding members, and served as president from 2015 – 2019.
As a former teacher, Catherine is very interested in sharing information about the joys and challenges involved with keeping bees, especially with young people. Every spring she offers an eight module workshop on Beekeeping for Beginners, that is adapted to the Newfoundland and Labrador conditions, and she visits schools and youth groups to make presentations on honey bees and gardening to encourage pollinators.
In 2022 Catherine’s first book, Daphne’s Bees, was published by Running the Goat Press.
