'Devastating': Beloved B.C. highway stop D Dutchmen Dairy loses 40 calves in barn fire

About 40 calves dead in structure fire at beloved B.C. highway stop D Dutchmen Dairy

Longstanding family business started in 1978

A well-known ice cream shop and family dairy farm in Sicamous, B.C., has lost multiple structures and dozens of animals in an overnight fire.

Bianca Colonna, whose parents run D Dutchmen Dairy, said the fire started at around 1 a.m. PT, burning three buildings including a barn housing about 40 calves, which all died in the flames.

"So in the words of my mom — her babies passed away last night," she said.

The animals were like family, she said, and each one had a name.

"My four-year-old son hugged and kissed every calf."

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D Dutchmen Dairy was established in 1978 by Chris and Nellie Dewitt, according to its website.

Located just off the Trans-Canada Highway, the business has become a popular roadside stop over the years, known for its ice cream and farm animals.

The ice cream shop was not burned, but it is closed as the family assesses its next steps.

Colonna said the fire moved quickly in the old wooden barns, but that firefighters were able to save the milking parlour and cow section.

They even rescued one cow who fell down in the havoc of the night.

"They said, 'We're not going to let her burn,'" Colonna said.

The cause of the fire isn't yet known, and the business is asking for people to avoid the farm at this time.

Sicamous Mayor Colleen Anderson said the fire was "devastating," calling the business "iconic."

"Not just a business but family friends, community supporters. Just a big part of Sicamous," she said.

Laurie Kubos of Askew's Food, which sells milk from the farm, said she has many memories of stopping at the dairy farm as a child growing up in neighbouring Revelstoke.

Both said the entire community was rallying around the family-owned business, which has been a major support of charities and organizations over the years.

A community fixture for nearly 50 years

Owner Jake Dewitt, the son of the business's founders, said in an interview with CBC News in 2021 that 180,000 customers stopped at D Dutchmen each year. At peak times, the business employed 25 workers, according to Dewitt.

He attributed the stop's popularity to its "beautiful yard and store," its quality products and its ice cream — which he said is particularly well-known in Alberta, where most of their customers come from.

Reacting to news of the fire Thursday, Jennifer Tirschman, executive director of the Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce, emphasized what an important role D Dutchmen has played in the area.

"They're part of the very fabric of the soul of this community," she said.

She noted that many people have memories of going to D Dutchmen over the years.

"We're all very saddened to hear about the devastating fire that has occurred, and the community is here to support them in any way we can."

With files from Lauren Vanderdeen, Jacqueline Gelineau, Justin McElroy and Andrew Kurjata