Wyatt's Hay

By Patrick Meagher

OTTAWA — Wyatt McWilliams doesn’t let the cell phone out of his sight. He’s the man behind Hay West and he’s got more hay to ship to bone dry Alberta than one man can handle. In fact, he has the whole province of Ontario and Quebec shipping hay to Alberta.

Before the rains started to come the third week of August, Alberta needed 400,000 tonnes of hay. Hay West can possibly supply 4,000 tonnes or about one per cent of the shortfall, which indicates the enormity of the problem.

"When we took this on, we didn’t realize it would get this big," says the soft-spoken and determined cash crop farmer from Navan, east of Ottawa. And his phone rings again. Another local farmer calling to offer help.

McWilliams has been lacking sleep since he began the relief effort in mid-July. His hired hand is doing all the work back on the farm as he coordinates donations of hay from all over. He puts the phone down and wonders aloud: "I hope they pay my cell phone bills." He’s referring to the federal government. McWilliams has paid out so much money from his own pocket that when Ottawa opened a downtown office, on King Edward Street, for Hay West the office staff of four accepted the $1,000 per week the government offered each one to keep the project alive. Otherwise, McWilliams would have to cut back his time with the Hay West drive and get back to the farm. "But there’s no way I would have quit, money or not," he said.

As of mid-August, farmers across eastern Ontario collected enough hay to send 27 train boxcars from Brockville, 70 from Smiths Falls, 20 from Ottawa, which includes enough hay from Pontiac County to fill five boxcars, and 14 boxcars in Pembroke. One boxcar can hold about 80 large square bales. The federal government has offered $2.2 million to help fumigate, load and ship hay to Alberta, which is suffering from the worst drought that anyone can remember.

Critics argue that the need for hay is so great Ontario farmers will only help about 50 farmers.

McWilliams agrees. "These are drops in the bucket," he says. "But we’ve helped. People were desperate."

He adds that the work and money they’ve paid out now is the cost of awareness. "People now understand that drought can ruin a farm," he says, turning philosophical and making circling motions with his hands for emphasis. "The feed is here. The need is there."

He adds that "when all this is over I want to be able to thank everyone that helped, from the farmer to the trucker to the guy on the tractor. And I want people to realize that they owe 100 per cent of their food to the farmer. I want them to know if they’ve had one meal today, thank a farmer."

This August day is hot and dry and McWilliams, a slender man with black cowboy boots, appears absorbed in thoughts. If he could start again, he says, he would pay for each hay, about $20 for a large square bale, enough to cover the cost of production. Some farmers want to help but can’t give up hay at a loss and "Alberta farmers don’t want free hay," he said. "They’re willing to pay for it."

The federal money kicked in to help will not cover hay that anyone has to pay for, he said. The frustration in his face makes him look tired. With so many voices and ideas "we’re moving in little steps. We could be moving by leaps and bounds."

He sells hay in Florida each year and sold hay overseas. "It was easier to send hay to Ireland than to ship it across my own country."

The phone rings again. This time it’s about the ball caps. The Royal Canadian mint paid for some beige "Hay West" ball caps. Molson, the beer company, wants to pay for all the caps going to volunteers in Quebec. Only volunteers get Hay West caps, McWilliams says. One farmer wearing one was offered $100 but he wouldn’t sell the cap.

It was Wyatt’s father who came up with idea to send hay west. Willard McWilliams, 65, was watching the news one morning and decided right there and then something had to be done. Willard had transported hay to Manitoba during crisis in the 1980s and made a few phones to reach someone who could secure a few boxcars. Wyatt carried the ball from there. It wouldn’t have worked without the help of the train, he admitted. By August 23, farmers had donated 50,000 large round bales of hay from as far away as P.E.I.. McWilliams repeats that he can’t thank enough the generosity of farmers across the province.

Cash donations to Hay West can be made by calling 1-888-678-2347. If you want to volunteer your time call 1-866-Hay-West (429-9378).