Woman on tractor promoting Canadian milk dies in collision with semi

SASKATOON An Ontario woman who was on a cross-country tractor tour with her husband to promote Canada’s dairy industry has died in a collision with a semi north of Saskatoon.

Bettina Schuurmans, 55, from Elmira, Ont., died in the crash Monday morning on Highway 16, while her husband, Henk, was injured and is recovering in hospital.

SaskMilk, a producer marketing board, confirmed the couple’s identity and says family have been notified.

A spokesperson with Medavie Health Services says the semi driver was not injured.

Since June, the couple had been travelling by tractor with a large, imitation diary cow named Maple on the back, and documenting their Canadian Milk Tour on Twitter.

Their tour involved talking to consumers about supply management and its benefits for the dairy sector.

“They drove thousands of miles, talking to consumers and staying with dairy farmers. They have really touched a lot of people,” said Joy Smith, SaskMilk’s manager of policy and communications.

“We didn’t just lose fellow dairy farmers, we lost friends.”

The couple spent Friday afternoon in Regina handing out free milk, buttons and information to consumers in the downtown area, and toured the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon over the weekend.

A Go Fund Me page has been started on behalf of the Schuurman family.