$9.5 for Ontario Veterinary College

The Ontario Veterinary College, Canada’s oldest, is receiving $9.5 million dollars from the province of Ontario to develop a primary-care teaching hospital for small animals.

The college, one of only four in Canada, will use the new hospital to give students more practical experience in caring for household pets. According to the college, Canadians have rising expectations for the health of their pets and this is increasing demand for veterinary services. With over $1.6 billion spent last year on medical care for pets, it is a growing area of practice for veterinarians.

Presently, the college’s teaching hospital operates primarily by referral and most referrals are specialized cases - not necessarily reflective of the day-to-day practice of a small animal medicine.

"The centre will give our student veterinarians unprecedented and invaluable learning and training opportunities and bring vital infrastructure improvements to the entire OVC campus,” said OVC dean Elizabeth Stone. “We hope to shape the future of veterinary education in primary health care.”

“Our government knows that it is today’s students who will build Ontario’s future economy, and that economy will be increasingly knowledge-based,” said John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “Our investment in these teaching and research facilities is ensuring that our veterinary students have access to the postsecondary education resources they need to prepare for the future.”