Community spirit and volunteers help Cape Breton farm get its groove back
The barn at the Groovy Goat Farm in Ingonish, N.S., burned to the ground this past winter, but people have come together to raise a new barn and give the farm a fresh start.
Any barn raising is typically a party-type atmosphere, but in this case, that's almost an understatement.
"Back in the winter, when we lost our barn to the fire, somebody mentioned having a good old-fashioned barn raising," said Shannon Costelo.
In February, when the original barn here at the Groovy Goat in Ingonish burned to the ground, along with the blow to the owners' livelihood, nearly two dozen goats, along with horses, died in the fire.
From the devastating feeling back then, to the uplifting mood on Monday, it's been quite a difference.
"The support from everywhere has been incredible," Costelo said. "And, just to see this happen, it's a really unusual thing that I don't think you would find just anywhere. And I really think that says just how special our community is."
Kevin Chiasson was one of the volunteers who pitched in.
"It took a lot of volunteers, and of course we all are volunteers here," Chiasson said.
When the work started on Friday, there was just a concrete slab.
From professional labourers, to people just wanting to lend a hand, Good Samaritans have come from all over and raised the new barn.
"It's astonishing," said Chiasson. "The people that's been here. Friday, Saturday and (Sunday), I just couldn't believe the amount of volunteers. We probably had up to 50-60 people here on site."
It's taken the past four days to rebuild what the fire back in the winter destroyed so quickly.
What's nearly completed here is a labour of love that it's hoped will last for years.
"So, at the end of the day, we hope to have the last of the strapping on the roof, and we hope to put the metal on (Tuesday)," Chiasson said.
Costelo says kindness like this is impossible to repay.
"We'll owe them forever!" she said.
But she says this has always been the community's barn, and will be even more so going forward.
"We hope by Labour Day that we can have a big grand reopening, and we can welcome everybody back again, to see it totally finished with animals inside," Costelo said. "And yeah, we'll just be back up on our feet thanks to everybody."
So, if a cat has nine lives, this Groovy Goat has a new lease on its second -- one it's hoped will be part of this community for years to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.