Access to Care Award Recipients Announced - Press Release
Skip to Main Content

Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VWB/VSF) announces its first ever Northern Award recipients; scholarship, bursaries, & first aid training

OTTAWA, ON, February 22, 2023 - Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Canada (VWB/VSF) is thrilled to announce the award recipients of its very first Access to Care Awards — part of it’s Northern Animal Health Initiative. With the goal of increasing capacity and knowledge of animal care and one-health across northern communities, the Access to Care Awards aim to create sustainable and community-led access to veterinary care across Canada’s North by providing animal health and welfare scholarships, bursaries, and training to individuals across communities in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon, with priority given to Indigenous applicants. This marks the awards’ first year, with over $36,000 granted in total. 
 
“We are so excited to announce our first ever award recipients,” said Marieke van der Velden, Northern Canada Program Manager. “These individuals, all northern community members, represent current and future leaders of accessible animal care and one-health support throughout Canada’s North. By helping to start or further their education, VWB/VSF can further commit to ensuring veterinary care is available to all animals and communities, when and where there is a need,” said van der Velden. 
 
Our Winter 2023 Access to Care Award recipients who are available for interviews include: 
 
SCHOLARSHIP 
 
Tannicka Reeves, Yukon, second year veterinary student at Western College of Veterinary Medicine 
 
BURSARIES 
 
Georgia Bouchard-Dawson, Northwest Territories, Bachelor of Science (Majoring in Animal Biology and Ecology and Environmental Biology), Thompson Rivers University 
 
Alison Paige Buckland, Northwest Territories, Veterinary Technology Diploma at Thompson Rivers University 
 
Enooyaq Sudlovenick, Nunavut, PhD in Geography, University of Manitoba   
 
PET FIRST AID TRAINING 
 
Kayly Deneron, Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, hopes to fill need of emergency  
 
Natasha Peyton Kuliktana, Kugluktuk, Nunavut, 12-year-old Natasha volunteers to help animals and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up 
 
Jocelyn Skeard, Pehdzeh Ki, Wrigley, Northwest Territories, community liaison for the past four years with VWB/VSF 

View a complete list of 2023 award winners here.

Media Contact   

Laura Eley 
Communications Officer  

E: laura@vetswithoutborders.ca   
C: +1 343-633-0272, x 114 

About Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières 


Using a One Health approach, Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) works for, and with, communities in need to foster the health of animals, people and the environments that sustain us. VWB works in Africa and Asia to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged rural populations through veterinary and agricultural services, sustainable animal production, training, value chain development and sustainable natural resource management. Additionally, we support remote Northern Canadian communities to improve animal health through temporary spay and neuter clinics, reduce the spread of rabies, and work to create the conditions for long-term, community-led sustainable animal health services.  
  
Learn more at vetswithoutborders.ca  
  
-30-  

Stories From Around The World

From Farm to Future: Empowering Women Dairy Farmers in Rural Kenya

From Farm to Future: Empowering Women Dairy Farmers in Rural Kenya

Ruth Wakariti's journey from smallholder farmer to community leader highlights the transformative impact of programs like VETS, empowering women to thrive in the dairy industry and contribute to sustainable rural development.

Read more

Webinar: How Can Innovative Animal Health Delivery Models Lead the Fight Against Rabies?

Webinar: How Can Innovative Animal Health Delivery Models Lead the Fight Against Rabies?

Register now for our upcoming, live webinar to be held on September 27th, in recognition of World Rabies Day 2024, to explore how innovative animal health delivery models can lead the fight against rabies.

Read more

VETS Volunteer Voices: Enhancing Dairy Production and Farmer Livelihoods in Kenya

VETS Volunteer Voices: Enhancing Dairy Production and Farmer Livelihoods in Kenya

#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Dr. Muller Fotsac (DVM), an Animal Health Advisor Volunteer who spent 6 months in rural Kenya (January - June 2024).

Read more

  • The most rewarding part of my placements was helping others and seeing the many lives that are impacted along the way.
    - Nikki Sheedy

Become A Part Of The Big Picture

By supporting Veterinarians Without Borders through donations or volunteering, you become part of the Big Picture solution. 

Volunteer  Donate  

+1(343) 633-0272 Contact