U of C and Alberta Government working together to fill Vet vacancies

The world is in the midst of a vet shortage.

In response to this need for veterinarians, the Alberta Government announced on Dec 1st that they are giving the University of Calgary an additional $11.2 million.

This money is earmarked for the faculty of veterinary medicine.

"We understand the seriousness of the veterinarian and veterinary technologist shortage, which is why we have provided funding and taken a whole-government approach to address the issue. At the same time, we’re providing capital funding for renovations and lab equipment to further expand veterinary diagnostics so rural vets and producers have affordable and timely access to services to manage animal health and welfare," RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation and MLA for Highwood, explained in an accompanying news release.

$10 million of that money is to help with the construction of a new Veterinary Learning Commons building at the Spy Hill Campus.

"This new modern facility will have flexible learning spaces, wellness spaces, and numerous student gathering areas to achieve new levels of excellence in the educational experience," explains Minister of Advanced Education Rajan Sawhney.

Construction for the new Veterinary Learning Commons building began on Dec 1.

The remaining $1.2 million will be for equipment for molecular diagnostics for livestock and capital funding for renovations to the Clinical Skills building.

"Beginning in 2025/26 academic year, these investments will allow the University of Calgary to welcome even more veterinary students, increasing the number from 50 to 100," says Minister Sawhney.

This $11.2 million is on top of the $8.4 million the Alberta Government promised to the Veterinary medicine program last year. In total, the Alberta government has committed to investing a total of $68.5 million into the U of C over a three-year period.

In 2005, the University of Calgary opened Alberta's first school of veterinary medicine. Since then, it has been recognized as the third best veterinary school in Canada and ranks 34th in the world.

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