Farmers and ranchers overjoyed with provincial move for vets

However, as was also noted, those folks won’t graduate for four years. BC is currently short 200 vets, and who knows what that number will look like in four years. But there is another option immigration. Just cutting red tape would help.

“Taking some of the red tape and the barriers preventing them to come here and practice. Coming to BC, they’re looking at up to two years before they’re allowed to practice.”

Typically, when the 20 graduates of the College are set loose, Northern BC gets perhaps one. With a doubling of seats, that may jump to two or three. But, as we in have all learned, “If you train in the North, you’re likely to stay in the North.” “We’ve been working with the university. Looking at options, as well as CNC at the vet tech level. If we’re able to train local Northern vet techs to keep them in the North,” says Parker. The same with UNBC, maybe not a full vet program. That’s an incredible undertaking to put in a full vet school.”

“We can’t have everyone going in Vancouver or Burnaby or the Fraser Valley that want to be vets for small animals in clinics in the Fraser Valley,” says Paton. “We have to be able to say ‘Maybe your marks aren’t quite as good as some of the others. But you are from Williams Lake or you’re from Fort St. John. And if you assure us that you would be willing to go back and work in that part of the province, that’s so important.’ But Mark Parker says, even if the student the first two years here, that would likely help bring them back. So, while the news is much-appreciated, there is still a lot of work to be done.

by Cheryl Jahn

Farmers and ranchers overjoyed with provincial move for vets

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