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
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