Two bee hives with upwards of 10,000 bees and one queen were unveiled on top of the caboose at The Forks on Friday morning, making it the first urban bee project in Winnipeg's downtown.

The Forks and Beeproject Apiaries teamed up to put the hives there as an educational device for Forks visitors. However, as Forks manager of marketing and communications Chelsea Thomson explains, the bees will play a much larger role as well.

"Through this project, each hive is expected to produce about 20 to 25 kg of honey within the season, beginning as early of July," she says. "We will be selling the honey inside The Forks Market, with support going to The Forks Foundation."

This honey won't be like the average honey you'll find on store shelves — Thomson explains it will have a distinct flavour.

"One of the really unique benefits about urban beehives versus those from a farm is that is produces a really unique tasting honey because there are so many different varieties of flowers and plants for the bees to collect and to pollinate with," she says.

Thomson says three years ago, they added an orchard to grounds at The Forks, and this beehive initiative will help pollinate these trees, also potentially creating higher-yielding, more flavourful honey.

She says with the hives located on the top of the caboose at The Forks, the bees will be close enough that people can see the activity, but will be high enough that they won't come into contact with humans.