B.C. farmers 'white-knuckling' their way through extreme cold after floods, heat dome
Richard Bosma's cows had been home for less than a week after an evacuation due to flooding in Abbotsford, B.C., before temperatures plummeted on his farm.
Bosma, who credits his faith with helping him remain resilient in a year that has seen record-breaking heat, flooding and now freezing temperatures, said a friend's comment resonated with him.
“So which chapter of Revelations are we doing today?” he said, referring to the book of the Bible dedicated to apocalyptic prophecy.
Like many farmers in B.C., Bosma has faced a year unlike any other when it comes to extreme climate events.
With temperatures dipping to nearly -16 C in the normally temperate Fraser Valley last month, Bosma was not alone in dealing with frozen pipes and manure removal systems, snapping equipment and challenges getting workers to the site. One milk truck driver told Bosma it took 12 hours to get the milk lines on the vehicle thawed before he could start navigating icy roads to do his pickups.
But Bosma is wary of being perceived as a complainer, noting farmers aren't alone in dealing with the cold that's affected everyone from truckers to firefighters.
“It's a bit of white-knuckling to make sure we get through the basics every day,” he said.
Farmers also have a habit of supporting one another through difficult times, he added.
“My neighbour got hit just as hard with the flood. He's out there plowing our driveway now,” he said.
Environment Canada warned of extreme cold in southern B.C. beginning in mid-December and continuing through this weekend, with another winter storm watch in effect.
Premier John Horgan acknowledged the “exceptionally challenging” year in a statement on New Year's Eve.
“For many, this will be remembered as the year that climate change arrived on our doorsteps. Here in B.C., we faced record-setting droughts, heat waves and forest fires, floods and mudslides,” he said.
Stan Vander Waal, president of the B.C. Agriculture Council, said the recent cold snap has affected each farm differently depending on insulation and whether livestock was in a barn or outdoors. The cold tends to increase costs across the board, however, whether it means greater demand for more heating or additional feed for livestock that burn energy to stay warm.
Facilities damaged on the Sumas Prairie of Abbotsford in the floods may see worse effects from the freeze because of moisture in the structures, he said.
Given the number of extreme weather events this year, Vander Waal said he believes many farmers may consider increasing climate protections on their farms.
“When we look at the year in review, we've seen many extremes that we haven't seen or many of us can remember,” Vander Waal said.
“Once you experience them one or two times, you start developing a strategy.”
Vander Waal owns Rainbow Greenhouses in Chilliwack, B.C. In his case, a strategy for coping with icy temperatures means ensuring thermal curtains are up to date, any leaks are sealed and construction is as energy efficient as possible.
Gagan Khakh, a third-generation vegetable and berry farmer at KBM Farms, said the family's main property in Abbotsford remains seriously damaged after the floods. The basement of the housing for workers filled with 1.5 to 1.8 metres of water. The farm market, grading and packing equipment, and Khakh's main residence were also all soaked.
The family considered itself lucky to have additional fields in Chilliwack, where they continued to harvest brussels sprouts until they started to freeze.
“With these recent cold temperatures we've had to stop completely,” he said.
“It sucks because it's kind of like a double-whammy.” Khakh said the main way consumers can support B.C. farmers is to buy agricultural products from the region when possible.
He said he hopes 2022 brings some calmer conditions.
“We're hoping that we just have a year that's somewhat normal, that we get those timely rains, that it won't get too cold, too early,” he said.
Gary Baars, another dairy farmer on Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie, said the cold has hampered recovery efforts on his property, where the workers' quarters are still “ripped apart.”
Baars said as challenging as it has been, it feels good to be back on his own farm. All 200 or so of his cows were affected by the evacuation during flooding and divided between five host farms until Dec. 22.
“The worst was not being in the barn,” he said. “It's good to be back home.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.