The veterinarian behind Canada’s animal lifeline
When Dr. Ken Mould (DVM’75) picked up the phone on a fall day in 2024, he didn’t expect to hear someone from the Governor General’s office on the other end of the line.
Veterinary medicine’s ‘balloon pilot’: Dr. Ole Nielsen
Dr. Ole Nielsen (DVM, PhD), a former dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and one of Canada’s veterinary visionaries, passed away on Wednesday, May 28, at the age of 95.
Provinces renew commitment to veterinary training in Western Canada
Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba have renewed their financial commitment to the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), continuing a longstanding interprovincial agreement that has been in place for six decades.
WCVM student leader earns national award for dedication to leadership
Hayley Jenkins’ lifelong passion for working with animals and improving animal welfare has helped the veterinary student from Thompson, Man., earn a 2024 Student Leadership Award from the Students of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA).
Wrestling with success: Allison Kuzub takes skills learned on the mat to vet school
Balancing a demanding academic program in veterinary medicine with high-performance athletic pursuits would seem nearly impossible for most university students. But for Allison Kuzub, discipline, time management and a driving passion for both animal health and team wrestling have helped her thrive as a student athlete.
Pivotal moment: veterinary college’s 60-year milestone inspires change
As the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) celebrates its 60th year in 2025, the regional veterinary college looks ahead to meet the changing needs of its provincial partners and stakeholders across Western Canada and the North.
Home sweet home for new vet college
By September 1965, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) had its first class of veterinary students, its first faculty members and its first dean — but it was still waiting for its own permanent building at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
Veterinary medicine part of USask history
The University of Saskatchewan (USask) officially became home to a college of veterinary medicine in August 1963 — but the university's close links with animal health and veterinary science began much earlier in its 108-year history.
"Vet college of the West" decades in making
When the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's first class of 33 students met for the first time in September 1965, it was the fulfilment of a dream that was decades in the making.
Vetavision a 45-year tradition at WCVM
One year after the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's new building officially opened in 1969, veterinary students were eager to open the college's doors to the public and share information about their new profession.
College centre of lifelong training for vets
While the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is widely recognized for its role in educating veterinary students, the college has also played a part in ensuring that Western Canada's practicing veterinarians continue to enhance their training throughout their careers.
Student demographics shift at WCVM
As the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) prepared to open its doors in 1965, Dean Larry Smith and his admissions committee pored over 93 applications and chose the WCVM's first class of 33 students.
WCVM's first dean shaped college's future
When the University of Saskatchewan's (USask) Board of Governors began searching for the first dean of Western Canada's veterinary college in 1963, their list of criteria was long.
WCVM teaching hospital's humble roots
As Western Canada's new veterinary college came to life in the mid-1960s, a critical consideration was ensuring that future veterinary students had exposure to hands-on clinical experience with a diverse range of animals and cases.
Raising the bar for the livestock industry
USask alumnus Dr. Tyson Buyer (BSA’12, DVM’16) started his business to help bring breeders together.
Canada’s first veterinary social work program celebrates 10 years at the WCVM
A decade ago, Erin Wasson was completing a Master of Social Work degree program at the University of Regina (U of R) when two of her mentors approached her with the idea of establishing a veterinary social work program at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
Veterinary students from 'then and now' compare notes during panel discussion
What was it like to be a veterinary student in the 1960s compared to students today at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)?
Chicoine builds student resiliency through confidence and perspective
A recipient of the 2023 University of Saskatchewan (USask) Provost’s Outstanding New Teaching Award, Dr. Al Chicoine says students need to know that their professors care about their success.
Cows, curling and clinical practice hit the button for Manitoba vet student
Living in a rural area on the Canadian Prairies often means spending your winters at the curling rink, and for Matthew Pauls, he grew up living that exact lifestyle in the tiny Manitoba community of Purves.
WCVM alumnus named member of Order of Canada
Dr. Lorne Hepworth, a 1971 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan, was named a member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to agriculture and research.
Dr. Charlotte Williams: a passion for pets and people
Growing up in North Battleford, Dr. Charlotte Williams (DVM) always had animals.
EHRF renamed to honour first fellow
A chance conversation with Dr. Hugh Townsend outside the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) led Dr. Joe Bracamonte to focus his career on equine health.
Magic moment at college’s first Vetavision
When Hugh Townsend showed up to work his shift at Vetavision one chilly day in November 1970, the second-year veterinary student had no way of knowing that his life was about to change forever.
Smart blazed trail for female veterinarians
Dr. Marion (Meg) Smart wanted to be a veterinarian from the time she was nine years old, but it wasn't a popular career for girls in the 1960s.
In memoriam: Dr. Robert H. Dunlop
Dr. Robert Hugh Dunlop, a well-known veterinary leader and one of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's (WCVM) first faculty members, died at the age of 85 on Dec. 18, 2014.