What is the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA)? 

CAPA was originally founded as the Canadian Association of Apiculturists (CAA) in 1959. At the 1974 Annual Meeting held in Banff, the CAA decided to federally register and professionalize the organization. Hence from 1975 onward, the organization has been known as the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA).

CAPA members study, educate and administrate in the fields of apiculture and pollination. CAPA members engage in diverse pursuits, including:

• regulatory aspects associated with management of honey bees,
• research into the secrets of bee and pollination biology,
• inspection of commercial bee colonies for diseases and pests,
• collection of statistics on provincial and federal honey and wax production,
• inspection of commercial honey and wax for purity,
• conservation initiatives to encourage wild species of bees
• development of cost-effective methods for the sustainable management of commercial bees

CAPA meets annually in conjunction with the Canadian Honey Council (CHC) to develop educational material and organise professional initiatives. Examples of CAPA professional initiatives include:

• dissemination of apiculture information (i.e. extension),
• consultation and communication with CHC and professional apiculturists in North America and abroad,
• hosting the International Congress of Beekeeping (Apimondia) in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1999, in conjunction with CHC,
• co-administering the Canadian Bee research Fund (CBRF) with CHC.
• awarding an annual Student Merit Award,
• development of 5-year research priorities.

CAPA Executive

Ernesto Guzman (President)
Renata Borba (Vice President)
Shelly Hoover (Past President)
Leslie Holmes (Treasurer)
Nuria Morfin (Secretary)