'It's farmers helping farmers': B.C. farmers get aid from Ontario counterparts
It’s one day at a time for the people of Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford where almost 600 properties remain under an evacuation order because of historic floods. Forty-eight of them are dairy farms.
“You wake up and you just put your foot down and you start working,” explained Grant Bouwman, a second-generation dairy farmer.
His family has spent days cleaning the mess left behind by flooding as they prepare to bring back their herd in the coming days.
“We moved out three weeks ago today,” Bouwman said.
“It was emotional in a lot of ways. You see your childhood home flooded. You see your hard work under water...and there’s nothing you can do. You’re helpless.”
One of the losses for farmers is feed like hay bales, which can be seen strewn about Sumas Prairie. Grain was also lost.
But dairy farmers on the other side of the country are stepping up to help.
“What we’re doing today is bringing out a lot of the milk replacer for the B.C. flood relief donated by Gay Lea foods and Grober Nutrition out of Ontario,” explained Gerry DeGroot.
“In layman’s terms, it’s like a baby formula for the calves,” said DeGroot who is with Dairy-Crop Solutions, which is delivering the feed for free.
“It’s farmers helping farmers.”
Twenty-four thousand kilograms of milk replacer has been donated. The product is worth about $100,000, DeGroot said.
It will help feed more than 1,000 calves on dozens of farms for the next 60 to 70 days.
Bouwman said he’s grateful for the gift.
“It blows you away because you don’t always think you deserve the help and that’s kind of maybe a silly thing to say but we’re a proud bunch of people. We work hard and we don’t always expect those kind of things,” said Bouwman.
“So when other farmers jump in and do things like that and make big donations like that, it’s huge,” he explained.
Across Sumas Prairie, clean-up efforts continue. Volunteers, friends and neighbours are helping gut damaged homes.
“We’re taking out any of the drywall that got wet by the floods. We’re taking out the insulation, which could rot and cause problems. Some floor is getting taken out as well,” said Drayvin Whitney, who serves with Mormon Helping Hands.
He is part of one of a number of groups and individuals who have been donating their time to help with restoration.
“It is a huge mess. It’s a really big job but with lots of hands, it makes light work,” said Whitney.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.