SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — It’s the season for giving, and Saskatchewan people did that in a big way last week as they built a bursary fund established to honour three brothers killed in farm accidents.
Three bred heifers from Bircham Ranch at Piapot, Sask., one each for Blake, Sean and Lyndon Arnal, sold for a total of $35,500 at the Rock Solid Bred Heifer sale Dec. 8 in Swift Current.
Add in the auction of four birdhouses crafted by ringman Bruce McFadyen, a donation from Innovation Credit Union, a collection from staff at Heartland Livestock Services, where the sale was held, and individual donations, and the fund grew to $47,831.
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“It’s astounding, amazing, incredible,” said Chantal Henderson, one of the boys’ sisters. “I can’t honestly believe it.”
Blake Arnal died in 2008 in an all-terrain vehicle accident on the farm. He was 14. Sean, 16, and Lyndon, 10, died in July in a tractor accident near the family’s Ravenscrag farm.
Their mother, Anne Arnal, said all the boys were passionate about agriculture and the family decided to honour that by turning their grief toward creating a legacy.
The Arnal Boys Memorial Bursary will award up to $3,000 each year to young people aged eight to 18 in the Chinook School Division who present solid business plans for agricultural enterprises.
This could include raising rabbits, buying a bull or purchasing equipment.
The heifer sale kicked off the major fundraising effort.
Olivia Arnal, another sister, said it was such an emotional experience she couldn’t stay by the sale ring to watch it unfold.
An emotional Bircham, who said donating the heifers was “just the right thing to do,” hoped the three heifers would bring about $15,000.
But when the first one entered the ring the bids flew up quickly to stop at $10,500. Emily Olney of Carnduff, Sask., whose father, Barry, grew up with Anne Arnal and did the bidding at the sale, bought the animal.
The second heifer sold for $9,000 to Crescent Point Energy, which donated it back for another sale. It then sold for $8,000 to Corrie Richardson of Eastend, Sask. His son was Sean’s friend.
The final heifer also sold for $8,000 to Diamond K Ranch of Maple Creek and one of the Rock Solid consignors.
Anne Arnal said the family appreciates the support, particularly since July, from people everywhere.
“Last week a steer went through a sale ring in Kelvington, Sask., and the proceeds went toward the bursary, from a fellow who does not even know us,” she said.
That was a 497 pound animal donated by Ryan Melsted of Wynyard, Sask., and bought by Grasslands of Moose Jaw, for $1,676.88.
All the donations paint a picture of small town Saskatchewan, she added.
At future Rock Solid sales, one of the consignors will donate a heifer toward the fund. Olivia Arnal said her brothers would approve of helping young people get involved.
“The joy that it brought to them was absolutely overwhelming,” she said of their love of farming. “Fortunately our parents were very good at supporting all of the things we wanted to do.”
The siblings were also supportive. Sean had helped finance Lyndon’s pig operation.
“We want to be that big brother for somebody,” said Olivia.
