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BFO Donates $75,000 to Help Address Northern Ontario’s Veterinary Shortage
October 30, 2026
From L to R: Dylan Schelling, Lakehead University; Dr. Todd Randall, Lakehead University; Jason Leblond, President, Northern Director, Beef Farmers of Ontario; Thomas Brandstetter, Manager of Policy and Issues, Beef Farmers of Ontario; Kevin Schlyter, Lakehead University
Gift Supports the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program and Future Large-Animal Veterinary Care
Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is investing in the future of veterinary care in Northern Ontario with a $75,000 gift to Lakehead University to support the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP), helping expand training opportunities for future veterinarians who will care for livestock and strengthen rural communities across the region.
The donation supports the development of teaching facilities and specialized equipment needed at Lakehead University to educate veterinary students in Northern Ontario, where producers continue to face a significant shortage of large-animal veterinarians. The gift also marks an important milestone in Lakehead University’s fundraising campaign for CDVMP as the project moves toward completion.
“Beef Farmers of Ontario is proud to support Lakehead University and the University of Guelph’s Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program. We thank the Government of Ontario, University of Guelph and Lakehead University for their significant investment and commitment to expanding veterinary education in the province. Training students for the north, in the north, will help build long-term veterinary capacity in communities where access to large-animal care remains a significant challenge,” says Jason Leblond, BFO President. “By investing in the combined anatomy and pathology laboratory and an articulated bovine skeleton, we are helping provide students with practical, hands-on training that reflects the needs of livestock farmers. This program is an important investment in animal health and welfare, the long-term success of farm businesses, food security and the resilience of northern Ontario communities.”
The Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP) is a partnership between Lakehead University and the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. Students complete their first year of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in Thunder Bay before continuing their studies at the Ontario Veterinary College.
Designed specifically to improve access to veterinary care across Northern Ontario, the program emphasizes rural, northern, and large-animal practice while preparing graduates to serve communities where veterinary shortages have become increasingly challenging for farmers and livestock producers.
"Alongside Lakehead University, the Beef Farmers of Ontario deeply understand the importance of veterinary care to the prosperity of Northern Ontario. We are grateful and excited to welcome Beef Farmers of Ontario to the family of donors who support Lakehead University’s work in the region.”," said Michael den Haan, Vice-President, University Advancement.
The gift will support facilities and equipment that provide students with hands-on learning experiences in large-animal medicine, strengthening the University's ability to prepare veterinarians who understand the unique needs of northern agriculture and rural practice.
“This support from Beef Farmers of Ontario is especially meaningful because it comes directly from Ontario’s beef farming community, one of the sectors this program is intended to serve,” said Terri O'Sullivan, Program and Operations Advisor to the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Science (FSES) at Lakehead University for the CDVMP. “Their investment in Lakehead University’s anatomy and pathology teaching facilities, including an articulated bovine skeleton, will give students important hands-on learning opportunities and a strong foundation in large-animal anatomy. It is a great example of how partnerships with livestock organizations can help us build a veterinary program that reflects the needs of northern agriculture, rural communities, and veterinary practice in the region.”
Beef Farmers of Ontario is the first provincial food commodity organization to support the fundraising campaign for the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program, demonstrating the agricultural sector's confidence in Lakehead University's vision to help address the veterinary shortage in Northern Ontario.
The Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program welcomed its first northern cohort in 2025 and represents a significant step toward building long-term veterinary capacity across the region while supporting animal health, food security, and the sustainability of Ontario's livestock industry.
Source: Lakehead University News