Four animals are dead and several others are injured after a barn roof collapsed under the weight of snow in Saint-Joseph-de-Kent, N.B.
Cattle farmer Mario Bastarache says he is devastated by the incident, but also grateful that he wasn’t inside the barn when the roof caved in.
“It was all down. It was all down,” says Bastarache. “Every day we go in that barn, so it was lucky nobody was in it.”
The barn housed 30 head of cattle. One died under the collapse, while three more were slaughtered due to injury.
Bastarache built the barn himself, but says it wasn’t insured. The barn’s estimated value is roughly $20,000.
The president and CEO of one insurance company says claims are up this winter as a direct result of recent storms.
“We have seen an increase in weather-related claims from collapse of buildings, as well as what we call ice-damming claims,” says Darrel Coates. “It’s a buildup of ice on roofs, which causes water to infiltrate inside the houses.”
Moncton Fire Chief Eric Arsenault says residents have to be aware of the amount of snow on their roofs and get a professional to clear it if there are signs of damage.
“Hearing sounds in your house or noticing cracks appear on the ceiling or on the walls, that can be an indication of something happening structurally,” says Arsenault.
As for Bastarache, he plans to begin rebuilding the barn in the spring. He says some walls are salvageable and he has already had offers from neighbours willing to help.
With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell
