Thunder Bay dairy donates to family of advocate killed in collision

The owner of a Thunder Bay, Ont., dairy has donated nearly $350 to the family of a farmer killed while promoting supply management for the dairy industry.  

Wilma Mol of the Slate River Dairy raised the money for the Schuurmans family. 

Bettina Schuurmans and her husband, Henk, were driving across Canada on a tractor outfitted with a life-sized replica of a dairy cow when they were hit by a semi in Saskatchewan on July 9.

Bettina died in the collision, and Henk suffered serious injuries. 

The Schuurmans visited Thunder Bay just a week before the collision and spoke to customers of the dairy at the Thunder Bay Country Market.

"After we heard the news, we were just devastated," Mol told CBC.  "We were just in shock that Bettina had died, and Henk was, you know, seriously injured."

After learning that someone had set up a GoFundMe campaign for the family, the dairy decided to contribute, Mol said. 

It donated a dollar for every bottle of whole milk sold this past weekend and also took up a collection for the family at their booth at the market. 

The total raised came to $346.

"We had advertised it on social media, and I was quite amazed that some people, they just came in just to make a donation, not to make a purchase but just to make a donation," Mol said.  "I really thank our customers for that."

Mol and her husband were inspired to help the Schuurmans because the couple were passionate farmers who were telling a story that's important to all dairy farmers in Ontario, Mol said. 

Supply management ensures that dairies across the province share the task of producing enough milk products to meet market demand and guarantees them a share of the resulting profits.  It also prevents market over-saturation, price instability, and losses due to unsold products.