“It’s kind of, um, I guess a disaster — what we had here the other night,” Briere said, pausing to wipe away tears that were streaming from behind his sunglasses. “It takes many years to get your cattle herd where you want it. And one day you will come and find this here – 14 cows, 13 calves and a bull (killed) in a lightning storm.” Brieres’ Mankota area ranch is about 150 km southeast of Swift Current. Connor O’Donovan / Global News The fourth-generation Saskatchewan farmer’s southwest pasture swayed gently under blue skies Monday. He told Global News the scene at his ranch in the Mankota area was much less peaceful Friday night. Story continues below ad
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“My son was sending me Snapchats. The wind was crazy and the lightning was unreal,” he said of the storm. He said he was away at Wood Mountain when the weather hit. “It was a lightning show according to what my son said.” It wasn’t until Sunday morning, however, that his brother-in-law discovered that 28 of his animals had died in the eddy, strewn along about 570 feet of barbed wire. Briere said wind from the storm likely pushed the cattle along the fence when lightning struck. Some of the dead animals can be seen. Connor O’Donovan / Global News He said 10 of the calves were bulls, destined for the Briere family bull sale held each year in March. Story continues below ad
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“Every mother in here should have had a new baby growing inside them,” he said, referring to the dead animals. “This will be another kick for us. Some of our top cows lie here.’ Briere said bull calves cost about $5,000 on average. Top class cows can be worth up to $8,000. In total, he estimates the value of the loss in the range of $80,000 to $100,000. Trending Stories
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“I remember my grandfather living here, my father and I. I could count on one hand how many cattle I’ve seen die from lightning,” he said. “It’s going to affect us for a few years.” Story continues below ad The surviving members of the Briere herd graze. Connor O’Donovan / Global News On the other side of a nearby hill where the “lucky ones,” as Briere calls them, are gathered, a mother called out for a calf that will never return. Some calves, meanwhile, roamed the grass looking for mothers who would never feed them again.
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Briere said orphaned calves likely won’t thrive as they grow, adding to the loss. Only the bull was insured, Briere said, since insuring the entire herd would have been too expensive. “It’s probably the only thing we’re going to make money from,” he said. “I guess I never thought about insuring all my cows or having that happen to us.” Story continues below ad Shay Briere digs a hole to bury dead cattle. Connor O’Donovan / Global News Briere’s son Shay, who plans to one day take over the business, was at work Monday afternoon digging holes to bury the dead animals.
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“It’s heartbreaking and devastating. You come over the hill and you see this. It’s not something you want to see,” Shay said. “In the winter, when it’s -30, you’re out there trying to save those calves. You do whatever it takes to grow them and we sell them at our sales.” A family plaque hangs outside the entrance to the Briere home. Connor O’Donovan / Global News However, despite the overwhelming tragedy, the Brieres are confident that they will overcome the difficulties. Story continues below ad Glenn said the loss could have been even worse if more than 80 cow-calf pairs were in the area when the lightning struck. He said his family members’ phones are buzzing with friends and neighbors asking what they can do to help, and a donation account has been set up. “We had to have our local vet come out to look at our insured bull and he told me it was 25 years ago when he last saw something like this. He thought he would never see it again, but yesterday he did,” she said. “At the end of the year we will be few. But we’ll be back. We are tough Saskatchewan people.” © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
