A barn at a southern Alberta farm collapsed as a result of Tuesday’s windstorm, killing one cow and injuring four others.
“It was basically a disaster,” Park Lake Dairy Farms manager John Waldner said.
Walder was doing his daily chores late Tuesday afternoon when Mother Nature moved in.
“We just saw the whole building flying up in the air and landing on a few cows,” he said.
Five cows were trapped. Walder rushed to his loader and lifted the rubble to save the cattle.
One cow was dead; the other four escaped with minor injures.
“The first thing I was worried about was the cows,” Walder said. “I really honestly figured that there were maybe a lot more under there.”
Tuesday’s windstorm wreaked havoc in southern Alberta, spreading wildfires and forcing evacuations in parts of the province.
“What can you do, right?” Walder said. “It’s just something unbelievable what nature can do and how fast it can do it, right?
“We’re nothing, nature has just got power over us.”
Waldner looks after about 220 cows at the farm. He estimates the damage to be worth more than $50,000.
“We have to move on and we’re going to get it replaced. But this is, to some point, nothing compared to what goes through cities or towns and takes out their whole housing and trees.”
Waldner continues with his daily routine and says he’s thankful he wasn’t caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.