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VOL. 15 • No. 7
SEE PAGE 12
FRIDAY • November 3 • 2017
Community rallies to support local dairy farmer in aftermath of blaze By Packet Staff They say what goes around, comes around. Judging from the huge turnout and the overwhelming show of support in North Gower last Saturday night, Barrhaven-area farmer Peter Ruiter is a man that has always been there for his friends, neighbours and colleagues. The evening was billed as the Blackrapids Farmfest Fundraiser. The farm, located on Prince of Wales Drive north of Manotick, suffered significant damage in a fire last month. Three barns and 83 cows were destroyed in the blaze, which had damages surpassing $1 million. A number of people and organizations stepped up to organize the fundraiser, including Saint Monica Parish, the Ottawa Carleton Milk Committee, the Ottawa Federation of Agriculture and the Junior Farmer’s Association of Ontario. A large number of supporters packed the Alfred Taylor Community Centre in North Gower. “We were worried that we wouldn’t be able to handle the huge crowd we were going to get,” said Navan farmer Wyatt McWilliams, who works closely with Ruiter on Ottawa’s Food Aid Day at City Hall each year. Other area farmers, such as Dwight Foster of
Peter and Rosemary Ruiter pose for a photo with their family, son-in-law Ben (25), Lindsay (23), Mark (17) and Sharon (20) outside the North Gower Community Centre during the Blackrapids Farmfest fundraiser last Sat., Oct. 14. A devastating fire razed Peter’s dairy farm on September 8. Barrhaven Independent photo by Mike Carroccetto
North Gower, were also there to show their support. Foster and Ruiter have known each other for more than a generation, and they have often stood alongside each other to fight for the rights of Eastern Ontario farmers in the political arena, especially in the aftermath of the BSE crisis more than a decade ago. Ruiter, his wife Rosemary, and children Sharon, Lindsay and Mark were overwhelmed by the support of the com-
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munity at the event, which attracted well over 500 people. “It’s been outstanding,” Ruiter said of the support. “Everybody keeps saying you’re a good guy, but I don’t see it. I just live the way I think I should live my life. I have always tried to do little gestures – not big gestures – but this is one big, big gesture back. It’s a little overwhelming.” Ruiter was humbled by the amount of support shown to him not just in the immediate area, but
throughout Eastern Ontario. “I’m really amazed at the support of the community,” he said. “It’s overwhelming. It’s a true testament to just how many good people there are in the world.” One of the big questions he is facing is whether or not to rebuild his farm. He said he is at the age where many of his friends and colleagues are thinking about retiring. In many ways, rebuilding the farm would be like start-
ing from scratch. “I have to do more research,” he said. “It’s a life changing decision. If I decide to back at it, and that’s what my heart wants to do, then absolutely. But I have to make the numbers work and make a business decision.” Ruiter said that he is humbled and strengthened by the generosity and support of the community in the aftermath of the tragic fire. “It’s the wind beneath my wings,” he said of the
support from the community. “It’s pushing me along. It’s the drive. This is the community just going ahead, and it’s a little overwhelming.” A GoFundMe campaign started to help raise money to support the family has raised more than $54,000 to date. Campaign organizers are hoping to raise $150,000 for the family. The page can be found online at https://www. gofundme.com/ruiterfamily-barn-fire-recovery.
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