Western Irrigation District – Pat and Diane Cammaert

By John Godsman Times Contributor

Pat Cammaert’s family originated in Belgium. His grandfather Emile was born in 1902 and came to Rockyford in 1919. Pat’s grandmother Jeanne Scheepens was also born in Belgium.
Emile served Wheatland County as reeve and councillor for 50 years, and was one of the original directors of the Western Irrigation District. Pat’s father, John was born in Calgary in 1928, and attended local schools in the Rockyford area before continuing his studies at the universities of Saskatchewan and Alberta, taking science.
Pat’s maternal grandparents, Alphonse Noy and Wilhelmina Bossman, originated in the Netherlands. Following their wedding, they came to Alberta on their honeymoon and decided to move here. They moved to Rosebud to farm in 1927, and Pat’s mother Jean was born in Drumheller three years later. Jean was academically inclined, obtaining multiple scholarships before attending the University of Alberta. Pat’s parents met during the 1949 Calgary Stampede, and were married in 1951, producing four children. Pat was born in Calgary in 1952, and attended school in the Rockyford area before graduating from Strathmore High School in 1972, then completing his BSc in agriculture in 1975.
Pat then took over operation of the farm and John became service manager for Rosebud Gas Co-op. Regretfully, John passed away in June 2010. Pat married Diane Sieben, whom he had met during her nursing studies, and they now have three children.
The early days of irrigation on their property involved the use of flood irrigation prior to the installation of a hand-move system in the 1950s. This system remained active until the 1970s when a Hydromatic pivot was installed, which was used until it was replaced by a more modern electric pivot.
Memories of the hand-move system still bring chuckles to the family, as everyone on the farm was required to move the pipes. Each person would pick up a section of pipe that remained connected and move it in unison. On one occasion, one burly cousin couldn’t seem to get his section off the ground, not realizing that the last person to pick up the pipe carried the weight of all the water that had drained from everyone else’s section. He was very chagrinned to think everyone else could out muscle him.
Irrigation has permitted Pat and Diane to have a huge farm garden where they have grown vegetables to fill their table, even trying commercial production.
The Cammaert family’s commitment to irrigation will remain strong in the future, as it is a valuable asset that provides great benefit, when properly managed, to keep costs low.