‘Our Hearts Are Full’: GoFundMe Raises Nearly $18K To Help Ladysmith Farming Couple Whose Barn Burned Down

‘This is neighbours helping neighbours,’ says nearby resident.

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After the fire that destroyed the barn, the community provided an outpouring of support. Local residents offered assistance, and a fundraiser was set up to help during this difficult time. The farm is grateful for the support and encouragement as they work to rebuild and restore what was once a central part of their operation.
After the fire that destroyed the Dault's barn, the community provided an outpouring of support. Residents turned up en masse, offering everything from coffee to hay to generators, and a fundraiser was set up to help during this difficult time. The farm is grateful for the support and encouragement as they work to rebuild and restore what was once a central part of their operation. Background Image: Yellow Point Farms | Facebook, Foreground Image Credit: @jennifercikaluk

A Ladysmith farming couple whose beloved barn burned down earlier this week said their “hearts are full” as locals rushed to provide assistance, and hundreds contributed to a fundraiser set up to help them through this tough time. 

“Oh my goodness!! The outpouring of love and support in our community is beyond words.”

GoFundMe Campaign Organizers

A GoFundMe campaign set up by the couple’s friends has raised nearly $18,000 towards a $20,000 goal, thanks to the community’s generosity in and around the small Vancouver Island town. 

The barn played a crucial role on the farm with the main power supply being connected to the barn. Source: Yellow Point Farms on Facebook.

“Oh my goodness!!” wrote the campaign’s organizers. “The outpouring of love and support in our community is beyond words.”

“We are still in shock and assessing what and how to move forward.”

Rebecca and Justin Dault

On Monday evening, Rebecca and Justin Dault were horrified to look out their window and see their heritage barn on fire. The couple, owners of Yellow Point Farms, which grows blueberries and other local produce, said in a Facebook post that they were “devastated by the loss.”

Firefighters work to extinguish the fire that destroyed the barn on May 1st. Source: Yellow Point Farms on Facebook.

“We are still in shock and assessing what and how to move forward,” they wrote on Tuesday. “With the loss of so much potential revenue in the next few months due to cancelling farm tours, weddings, field trips, and camps, we are reeling. We don’t even know what we will do when it comes to blueberry and market season.”

“This is neighbours helping neighbours and farmers helping farmers.”

Erica Defrane, Ladysmith Resident

However, community members immediately offered their assistance. 

The barn was a central hub of the farm, with the bottom floor serving practical purposes such as storage, sorting and packing, and the second floor being used for events like weddings, birthdays, and farm markets. Source: Yellow Point Farms on Facebook.

“All day long, our friends, family, and neighbours kept showing up for us, whether it was online offering kind words of support and donations or in person delivering hay, animal feed, generators, and supplies (and food and coffee for us too! Our power was out because the main supply for the farm was connected to the barn),” they wrote on Wednesday. 

“We are neighbours, and this is neighbours helping neighbours, and farmers helping farmers,” nearby resident Erica Defrane told CTV News.

The couple said they are grateful. “Thank you so, so much. Our hearts are full with the love and support we feel,” they wrote.

Participants practice yoga accompanied by baby goats on the upper floor of the barn, which has hosted numerous other events such as birthdays and weddings. Source: Yellow Point Farms on Facebook.

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