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Robert Barron column: Farming breeds fascinating people

On Tuesday, I met up with Henk Schuurmans, a dairy farmer from Ontario
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Robert’s column

One of the things I’ve always liked about my job is that I get to meet the most fascinating people.

On Tuesday, I met up with Henk Schuurmans, a dairy farmer from Ontario who decided earlier this summer that he would take a stand and draw the public’s attention to the plight of Canada’s dairy farmers.

Faced with the threat, which came to reality this week, that the huge and subsidized American dairy industry would gain further access to Canadian markets, Schuurmans and his wife Bettina hopped on their John Deere tractor and, with a large fibreglass cow in the rear, began heading from their farm in Elmira, Ontario, to B.C. to raise awareness of the issue.

Just days into their trip, however, the couple were rear ended by a transport truck in a tragic accident on July 9 just outside of Saskatoon that saw Bettina killed and Schuurmans suffering from a broken pelvis and several cracked ribs.

That likely would have ended the trip for most people.

I think such a tragedy would have crushed my spirit, at least for awhile, and I can’t imagine that I would ever consider picking up the emotional and physical pieces mere weeks after such a horrendous event and carrying on with the cause.

But, with the future of his sons and daughters in mind, and his stubborn determination to finish what he and Bettina had started, Schuurmans began the trip again on Sept. 13 in his pick-up truck and accompanied by his two daughters, even though he was still recuperating from his injuries.

The journey ended in the Cowichan Valley on Oct. 1 and that’s where I met Schuurmans for the first time as he slowly got out of his truck and leaned on his crutches before meeting a group of enthusiastic local dairy farmers who gathered to greet him.

I found him to be like most other farmers across the country that I have had the privilege of meeting over the years.

He is a straight-talking and honest man whose lean looks and big hands indicate clearly that he has spent most of his life doing hard work outdoors.

I noticed a sadness in his eyes, likely from carrying the fresh pain of the loss of his wife and mother of his children, but also a determination that the Canadian dairy industry that he loves so much not be a historical footnote in the near future.

He talked to me about securing a future for his sons, who want to take over his farm when he retires, and his fears about Canada bowing to the American pressure to allow more and more access to our protected dairy markets.

His fears were not unfounded as Canada agreed to open up a further 3.6 per cent of its dairy markets to subsidized American competitors this week.

That may not seem like a lot, but it’s not the first time that Ottawa has secured trade deals with other nations at the cost of allowing more of their dairy products to be incrementally sold here.

Eventually, I fear that farming of all kinds in Canada may be in jeopardy and down-to-earth people like Henk and Bettina Schuurmans will only be seen in history books.

That would be a great loss to the Canadian national culture.



Robert Barron

About the Author: Robert Barron

Since 2016, I've had had the pleasure of working with our dedicated staff and community in the Cowichan Valley.
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