Operation BeeStrong

Our Mission: More Than Just Honey

Discover the mission behind Operation BeeStrong. Founded by a team passionate about service, community, and the incredible world of honeybees, we're dedicated to creating a supportive hive for those who've served Canada.

Meet the hive

Coming soon, 2026

Operation BeeStrong offers a unique pathway to profound well-being through the focused, hands-on engagement of beekeeping. Participants discover a powerful sense of responsibility and belonging, building purpose one mentor, one mentee, and one hive at a time.

Our structured program guides Mentees through:

Year one

Learning the buzz with your Mentor
You’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Year two

Spreading your wings
Now that you've got the rhythm of the hive, it's your turn to lead. You'll manage your own colony with your Mentor still in your corner. Expect a boost in confidence, hands-on independence, and lots of sweet moments (yes, honey too).

Year three

Becoming a pillar of the hive
You're not just part of the community — you're helping shape it. Dive into advanced skills, share your wisdom, and maybe even become a Mentor yourself. The hive grows stronger because of you.

Our structured program guides Mentees through:

Year one

Learning the buzz with your Mentor
You’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Year two

Year three

Our structured program guides Mentees through:

Year one

Learning the buzz with your Mentor
You’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Year two

Year three

Our Mentorship Program connects active and retired first responders and military personnel with experienced beekeepers. In a supportive, hands-on environment, you'll learn the full scope of beekeeping, from hive assembly to honey harvesting.

This structured program guides Mentees through Years 1, 2, 3, and beyond.

Years of experience

Bee hives created

Mentees

Bees

Meet the hive

Our team believes in helping those who have already helped so much. Below are the team members from service backgrounds and private sector alike.

Ash Murrell

Director and Creative Lead at AMP Visual Media, a rebellious, bold & Canadian creative studio who believes in stories, client connections and embracing the future as humanly as possible.

Dr. Erica Shelley

Beekeeping Expert & Industry Liaison. As a founding member of Operation BeeStrong, CEO and Founder of Best For Bees, and Executive Director of Organic Council of Ontario, Erica brings unparalleled expertise. She guides beekeeping principles, learning pathways, and leads sponsorship initiatives for the project.

Const. Jason Marcotte

Mentor Trainer. The inspiration behind this program, Jason focuses on recruiting and training mentors and shares inspiring personal testimonials.

Let's get in touch

Whether you're looking to become a Mentor, join as a Mentee to learn the art of beekeeping, volunteer your skills, support our mission financially, or simply have questions – we'd love to hear from you. Let's build something amazing, one hive at a time.

info@beestrong.ca

Operation BeeStrong is a mentorship
program and not a crisis service.
Need support now?
For immediate mental health support:

Call or text 988. Available 24/7. Nationwide.

Operation BeeStrong offers a unique pathway to profound well-being through the focused, hands-on engagement of beekeeping. Participants discover a powerful sense of responsibility and belonging, building purpose one mentor, one mentee, and one hive at a time.

Our structured program guides Mentees through:

Learning the buzz with your MentorYou’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Our structured program guides Mentees through:

Learning the buzz with your MentorYou’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Our structured program guides Mentees through:

Learning the buzz with your MentorYou’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Meet the hive

Ash Murrell

Dr. Erica Shelley

Const. Jason Marcotte

Operation BeeStrong is a mentorship program and not a crisis service. Need support now? For immediate mental health support:

Operation BeeStrong is a mentorship program and not a crisis service. Need support now? For immediate mental health support:

Call or text 988. Available 24/7. Nationwide.

Call or text 988. Available 24/7. Nationwide.

Learning the buzz with your Mentor
You’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Learning the buzz with your Mentor
You’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Learning the buzz with your Mentor
You’ll roll up your sleeves and get your hands sticky (in the best way). This is all about mastering the basics — from suiting up to checking your first hive. You’ll shadow your Mentor, ask questions, and start feeling at home with the bees.

Operation BeeStrong is a mentorship
program and not a crisis service.
Need support now?
For immediate mental health support:

Operation BeeStrong is a mentorship
program and not a crisis service.
Need support now?
For immediate mental health support: