Willi Schmidt stands in the centre of what was his 50’ x 60’ barn a day after winds ripped the entire roof off late last Tuesday afternoon.

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Laurentian Valley – The destructive power of Mother Nature was on full display Wednesday as the owner of a horse boarding business on Whitewater Road surveyed the damage caused by a severe windstorm the previous afternoon.

Well-known retired Pembroke area businessman, Willi Schmidt was still shaking his head in disbelief at the thought of the entire roof of his 50’ x 60’ barn being blown off and scattered across the property, several hundred feet from the point of origin.

Perhaps more unbelievable to Mr. Schmidt was the fact none of the 15 horses that were out in the pasture where the debris landed, were killed, although two were seriously injured.

“It was around 5 o’clock yesterday (Tuesday) and we were just sitting at home,” he recalled. “There was a little bit of rain and I had said we had to put the horses in.”

He phoned his employee, who lives across the road, to come and assist him, and had just hung up when the storm unleashed its fury.

“I looked out here, by then it was just like this,” he said indicating the rain had become torrential. “It was raining so hard, you could hardly see the barn from the house.

“And then I see the silver (the metal) flying from the roof.”

 The barn that was damaged was used strictly for storage for round bales of hay, equipment, and horse-related accessories. He explained the mares were outside to the south of the damaged barn and the 15 geldings were in a field to the north of the structure.     

“The wind came from the south, took the roof off, and that’s where the geldings were,” he said. “There were five of them hurt, two real bad.

“Some had cuts on their faces, on top of their faces, the legs, but two were real bad,” he continued.

The injuries were not fatal at the time and he praised the quick response and professional care that veterinarian, Tony Ruyter, provided to the injured animals.

“He spent hours here sewing them up.”

The most seriously injured required 100 stitches to close the wound in its back upper back.

Mr. Schmidt confirmed the debris was scattered several hundred feet from the barn, including one very large section of the roof with the strapping still attached.

“It took everything, the rafters and everything,” he said. “Even some of the horse equipment.”

While some of the horses were his, the majority are owned by people who board their horses with him. The five horses that are injured are owned by others.

He immediately notified the owners and they arrived, shocked to see what had happened, but grateful no animals or people were killed. The horses were all moved inside to another part of the building adjacent to the damaged barn. He stressed the horses were not kept in the barn that sustained the damage. 

Mr. Schmidt said all of the owners have been very supportive, knowing there was nothing he could have done to prevent what happened.

“They’ve all been good,” he said. “When they see the debris back there, they’re all amazed that the horses didn’t get killed.

“There’s junks of stuff everywhere,” he added, struggling with his emotions, knowing the reality of what could have happened. “There’s nothing you can do.”

He said each owner has to prove their horses are insured to be boarded there. Mr. Schmidt has lived at this location since 1972 and has never seen a weather event like that in his over 50 years. He heard someone’s garden shed had also been damaged, but that was all he was aware of.

The 50-foot wide by 60-foot long barn that was damaged was built in 2020, to replace one that was destroyed by fire in November 2019.

“The fire was in November and we started right away building this one.”

Fortunately, the horses were outside when that fire hit, and were not injured.

Mr. Schmidt said the barn is insured, adding the investigator was scheduled to arrive Friday.

“I have insurance and I hope they cover it,” he remarked. “I have to see what they’re going to say.”

He is unsure what might happen to the structure as the walls are still standing. He is not sure of their structural integrity.  None of the remaining contents of the barn were damaged.

Mr. Schmidt plans to rebuild.

He said while he was operating his catering business (Schmidt’s Catering), the ranch was a hobby for him, but since his retirement in 2012, it has become his passion.

“I had the fire in 2019 and now this,” he said. “It’s discouraging.”  

Mr. Schmidt is grateful for the people who have stopped to offer support. A very active community member, known for his longtime role in the Pembroke Germania Club, he has a large connection of friends who have offered to assist.

“There were lots of people in 2019 and there’s lots again,” he said.