The Government of Alberta has provided the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with a $9.5 million investment to continue operating a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
The funding will be delivered throughout the next three years and hopes to expand the facility’s service levels, granting even more access to in-province testing, which in turn leads to quicker results at “more affordable” rates.
Olds College Interim Vice President, Academic Dalin Bullock calls the investment a “very strong message” from the province, showing they recognize the importance of one of Alberta’s leading industries.
“Having this level of diagnostic services within the province, I think will be a very positive benefit to the livestock industry,” he says. “ I also think it sends a very strong message from the government in regards to the importance of the livestock industry and should boost confidence with the public and also key markets that rely upon Alberta’s livestock and food products.”
Bullock maintains that it’s “too early” to tell how exactly the investment will impact students at OC; however, the two institutions have enjoyed a fruitful relationship in the past, so opportunities for even more collaboration will be looked at in the near future.
“I do think that it’ll be an opportunity for us to explore some enhancements within our curriculum and provide students with some more detailed and relevant training materials,” he says. “ I think it’ll also provide opportunities for further collaboration and research with our technology Access Center for Livestock production.”
“ Olds College and the U of C currently have an MOU that supports our partnership in areas around education and research, and I think this new center will likely enhance future opportunities.”
Rural Alberta has continued to face challenges when it comes to veterinary care shortages, but with the new expansion of services, Bullock says students at Olds College could have even more learning opportunities to better equip them when they eventually enter the workforce.
“With some of the diagnostic services that will be offered within this new unit, I think there may be opportunities for us to collaborate on being able to use real live cases of situations versus more of a textbook kind of cases, and so I think it’ll create opportunities for more relevant information that is current to Alberta and is current to our industry,” he says.
Olds College’s Veterinary Technology program will accept 150 students next year, and Bullock says the increased capacity was made possible through the newly renovated Animal Health Education Centre.
