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Local donate hay to wildfire relief efforts

Grand Forks residents sent hay to help animals in need
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Pictured, from left: Deb Cusson, Dawne Henszel, Pete Henszel, Helen MacDonald and Michelle Hammond with one of many loads of hay taken to Kamloops for animals displaced by wildfires. (Michelle Hammond/Submitted)

Many in the Boundary know the impact a wildfire can have. While our communities have been lucky this year and many efforts are underway to help people elsewhere in the province displaced by wildfires, some local volunteers are also working to make sure that animals won’t do without in the aftermath of this summer’s fires.

Michelle Hammond said that two weeks ago she saw an article on social media about animals displaced by wildfires and the immediate need for hay. After putting the question out on Facebook to see if anyone else wanted to pitch in, she said the results were dramatic. Within a short time, she had donations totalling 182 bales, and it “snowballed” in the hours and days after that.

Last week, Hammond said 400 small square bales and 40 small round bales from Grand Forks were delivered to the Kamloops Exhibitions Association grounds – a whopping 22 tons of hay that will feed animals displaced by the recent wildfires.

The hay will be distributed by the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART), which has been helping to feed, house and move animals in the wake of the fires.

Multiple trucks and trailers aided in getting the seven loads of hay to Kamloops, including an instructor/student driving team from Castlegar-based Mountain Transport Institute, which used the donation of the use of the tractor trailer and its drivers as a training drive for a student.

Hammond said that while this donation will help the immediate need, animals and their owners will continue to need help long after they return home as they are faced with burnt properties and hay supplies.

This year’s wildfire season has been the worst on record, with nearly 900,000 hectares burned province-wide since April 1.

Local residents that donated hay besides Hammond include Tom and Marie Salahub, Stanton and Helen MacDonald, Sherry Langevin, Deb Cusson, Cathy Grixti and Paul Plamondon. Many more donated their time and equipment to load and haul the hay. Donations through the Horse Council of B.C. helped offset fuel costs for hauling animals, feed and supplies, and anyone that wishes to donate can go online at hcbc.ca