Thunder Bay, Ont. — Help is on the horizon for people in northern Ontario struggling to access veterinary care for their livestock and pets. With a signed agreement between Lakehead and Guelph universities in place, student recruitment underway, and a Request for Proposal process about to begin, the new Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program is moving forward.
The innovative collaboration between the two institutions is designed to address the critical veterinarian shortage in northern Ontario, particularly in the growing agri-food sector. Across the region, the shortage has also made it difficult for people to access medical care for their family’s pets.
The Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program leverages the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph’s world-renowned expertise in veterinary education, combined with Lakehead University’s nearly sixty-year history of supporting rural and Indigenous communities by breaking down barriers to education and graduating highly skilled people ready to deliver critical services and build economic resilience.
“People who live in northern Ontario deserve equal access to services found in the rest of the province, and that includes medical care for our pets and farm animals,” said Dr. Gillian Siddall, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University. “Solutions for the north need to be homegrown in the north to meet our unique needs. As an avid animal lover and champion for local economic growth, I am proud to enter this first-of-its-kind partnership with the University of Guelph to educate northern students who plan to build their practice in underserved communities. Help is on the way.”