'Local heroes': B.C. dairy farmers fed cows submerged to their necks in water for 2 days, agriculture minister says
Farmers in B.C.'s flood-stricken Fraser Valley are demonstrating just how resilient and persevering they can be in the face of recent storms.
Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said Wednesday members of her team visited Abbotsford and spoke with the mayor and local farmers about the impacts last week's storm and floods have had on the community.
Popham said the sector has been hit hard, but "pretty amazing stories" are emerging, including one of two brothers, Carl and Rudy Meyer, who spent days feeding dozens of dairy cows that were submerged in water.
"The waters came up so fast (last) Monday, they couldn't get their livestock out and so 180 dairy cows were up to their necks in water," Popham said she was told by Holger Schwichtenberg, chair of the BC Dairy Association’s board.
"Those brothers went in and fed those cows hay for two days while those cows were submerged in that water."
Popham said she was told the waters receded last Wednesday and all the cows are fine and are back to being milked.
"So huge kudos to Carl and Rudy," she said. "Thank you for being amazing local heroes."
Schwichtenberg said in a statement that with the pandemic, a drought and flooding, this has been one of the most challenging years for dairy farmers that he can recall.
"And yet, as this event demonstrates, it has also been a year of coming together," he said in a statement last week.
"We will work through this disaster, and do what we can with the circumstances we’ve been handed. Farmers are nothing if not resilient."
At least 500 cattle are dead from the flooding, the BC Dairy Association said earlier this week, but thousands of animals were moved last week to farms not under evacuation order. Schwichtenberg told CTV Morning Live Wednesday he took in a couple dozen cows himself, but they'll be going home in the coming days.
Schwichtenberg said the best thing the public can do to support farmers is to have patience.
"Understand what we're going through," he said on CTV Morning Live. "Continue to buy milk, obviously."
Sixty-two dairy farms in the Fraser Valley were placed under evacuation order, according to the BC Dairy Association. Those orders have slowly been lifting in some areas, however.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.