Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

BC GOVT NEWS: New funding helps bring more veterinarians to rural BC

 

A new program to help attract and retain livestock veterinarians in rural parts of the province will mean timely and better access to animal care for ranchers and farmers. 
 
“Our government remains committed to supporting farmers in B.C. care for their livestock by developing innovative programs that address their veterinary needs,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food.

“This initiative aims to bolster the number of veterinarians in rural communities. By doing so, we can provide essential support for livestock care, ultimately strengthening our province’s food security and economy.” 
 
The program will focus on northern BC as the priority region. It will help veterinary clinics that provide livestock care with recruitment and retainment of veterinarians and registered veterinary technologists, as well as funding for equipment and training. 
 
“Meeting the demand for animal care in a rural area means long and busy days and nights, especially with the shortage of veterinarians in our rural communities,” said Cori Stephen, a veterinarian with the Nechako Valley Animal Health Services, Vanderhoof. 
 
“I’m hopeful the new program will help rural, small-town practices like ours attract and retain veterinarians and technologists interested in joining a rural practice, which, in turn, will allow us to provide care to more animals in need in our area.” 
 
Clinics in the southeast, Okanagan, Thompson, Southern Cariboo, Vancouver Island, Lillooet and Pemberton will be designated as secondary priority areas, with the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley being the lowest priority area. The program will also help build local partnerships to improve strategic planning for veterinary services in under-serviced communities and regions. 
 
“Ranchers and other livestock owners in rural BC require a large and diverse group of veterinarians and technicians to assist them with their animal health and welfare needs,” said Kevin Boon, general manager, BC Cattlemen’s Association. 
 
“The BC Cattlemen’s Association supports this initiative and feels it will help move the needle to get that help where it is needed most in a short period of time.”

The first intake for applications is from Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nurses Take Job Action After Years of NDP Neglect

Image Credit:  BC Nurses Union BC nurses have reached a breaking point after years of unsafe conditions, rising violence in the workplace and a government that wouldn’t listen. Now they are on the picket line fighting to be heard. Last week, nurses began job action with a 72-hour strike notice, refusing non-essential overtime and stepping back from non-nursing duties. As of Tuesday, they have escalated to picket lines for the first time in decades. This moment was avoidable. It is the result of years of unanswered concerns from the frontline workers who keep our hospitals running. Nurses have been raising the same concerns for years: unsafe staffing levels, rising violence on the job, and a workload no single person should have to carry. None of it is new, and none of it should have taken a strike vote to get the government's attention. "Nurses are exercising their legal right to job action, but it shouldn’t have had to come to this," said Kiel Giddens, MLA for...
Post a Comment
Read more

British Columbians Still Don’t Know Who’s Paying for NDP’s BC Hydro Deal

The NDP is making billion-dollar promises with BC Hydro, but British Columbians still don’t know who will pay the bill. Last week’s memorandum of understanding isn’t what the federal government and the NDP are making it out to be. It’s an admission that the NDP failed to make the long-term investments needed to keep B.C. powered. Now British Columbians have serious questions about the cost and whether BC Hydro ratepayers will end up paying the price. David L. Williams, MLA for Salmon Arm-Shuswap and Shadow Minister for BC Hydro and Electrical Energy Development , said British Columbians deserve clear answers about the full implications of the Canada–British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. “British Columbians deserve the full truth,” said Mr. Williams. “This multi-billion-dollar announcement does not answer who pays for cost overruns, who pays for new generation, who carries the risk if industrial customers do not materialize, or whether ratepayers will be forced ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more