That called for action to ensure dairy cattle that needed to be moved, could be re-located to alternate facilities in the Fraser Valley. The offer from the Kooymans was too good to pass up.

Brad Morrison from Valley Dairy Equipment in Chilliwack, and John Bruinsma from Pacific Dairy Centre in Abbotsford along with Dr. Chris Byra were given the task of fixing up three farms to house 1000 dairy cows in the Chilliwack area and get them ready for emergency use. One of those farms was the former Mel Schultz dairy farm on Maguire Road.

Ron Barker, the dairy specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture noted that John Bruinsma had brought an eight stall portable dairy parlour to the site which could milk up to 300 cows per day. It was positioned outside the barn and hooked up to the milk tank.

“Hats off to Brad, John, and Chris who worked together with Jakes Contracting, electricians, and plumbers, and B.C. Hydro to ready the site in three days. They busted their butts to ready the premises.”

Chris Byra, who now works for the B.C. Pork Industry, says the farm, which was located in the low to medium risk area, is not brand new, in fact just the opposite. It hasn’t been a dairy farm for several years.

Source: Chilliwack Progress