B.C. company gets social media shout-out from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
'This whole week has been kind of surreal to be honest with you,' says Beecause co-owner
A small Fort St. John, B.C. business recently got a huge royal thumbs up.
Beescause, a small company dedicated to supporting bee colonies in urban areas, was followed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their Instagram account. (Thumbing the bottom centre photo reveals a tag with the company's name.)
They are one of 15 companies, and the only one in Canada, followed by the royal couple.
The acknowledgement is part of the 15 Forces for Change campaign in British Vogue Magazine, where Markle as guest editor for September highlighted 15 women as "forces for change."
Following that, Markle and Prince Harry opened the question up to their followers on Instagram, choosing another 15 forces for change from users' submissions.
Beescause co-owner Chris Wheeler couldn't believe his company was selected.
"This whole week has been kind of surreal to be honest with you ... I feel like I'm walking about two feet off the ground," he said.
Last April, Chris Wheeler and Maurice Allen started Beescause, to do something about the decline of the bee population. The company facilitates a "foster a beehive" program where they will come to your home and set up a hive.
"We just kind of wanted to go and see if we can make a positive change ... try to get things moving forward and feel a bit better [about] the world," he said.
Now, the company has gained almost 2,000 new followers within 48 hours.
They have about 45 hives out this summer and they say the community has truly engaged with their project.
"They nurture them ... they text me how the bees are doing..Everyone's getting educated ... it's getting momentum," he said.
Wheeler says, they have their sights set on going global in the near future. They say they want beehive foster parents all around the world, 365 days a year.
with files from Radio West