The title captures a few of the many noteworthy events in the national and international veterinary calendar for 2011.
The “Year of the Cat” is an initiative that had its beginnings at the 4th International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October 2009 at Lake Louise, Alberta. This 2011 campaign is being chaired by Dr. Liz O’Brien, a feline practitioner from Hamilton, Ontario and a dedicated group of representatives from 4 sectors of the companion animal industry; veterinary medicine, animal control, animal welfare, and the pet retail industry. Petsecure Pet Insurance and the PetLynx Corporation are the generous sponsors of this program.
The goal of the Year of the Cat campaign is to provide a national program and forum for collaboration among all these companion animal sectors and the general public to reduce the cat overpopulation problem and to raise awareness of the health, welfare and value of cats in our communities. It is interesting to note that 2011 just happens to be the “Year of the Cat” in the Vietnamese calendar. Liz and her team hope to promote and initiate engagement of many communities across Canada in this worthy cause. For more information on this campaign please contact Dr. Liz O’Brien (drliz@careforcats.ca) or (www.careforcats.ca).
Another notable 2011 veterinary event is the Vet2011 celebration and its promotion of “World Veterinary Year” in 2011. This year-long event celebrates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the first veterinary school in the world. This school was established in 1761 by Claude Bourgelat, a French veterinarian, in Lyon, France. This initiative had its beginnings in France with Professor Jean-François Chary, a former dean of the veterinary school in Lyon France, and has now spread around the world with representatives from veterinary associations and individuals from all 7 continents.
The main purpose of Vet2011 is “to improve public awareness and remind policy makers everywhere in the world that the profession has been serving humankind for 250 years” (www.vet2011.org). Throughout the year, the roles of the modern veterinarian in our society will be promoted. These roles include providing animal health services to patients, acting as animal welfare advocates, promoting food security and monitoring food quality, managing zoonoses, performing biomedical science research, and protecting the environment.
Each participating national and regional veterinary association partner will be responsible for organizing events in their jurisdiction. The CVMA has planned a number of communications opportunities throughout 2011 for the Canadian Vet2011 campaign, including messages in the online newsletter (Online at 339), information on the CVMA Web site (www.canadianveterinarians.net), articles in The Canadian Veterinary Journal, articles in trade magazines and provincial veterinary association publications, press releases to mainstream media and messages via our Facebook and Twitter portals. For more detailed information on Vet2011 and World Veterinary Year please refer to the Web site (www.vet2011.org).
The year 2011 also marks the 125th anniversary of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FMV) of the University of Montreal. The FMV began as the School of Veterinary Medicine of Montreal in 1886. The school moved briefly to a Trappist monastery in Oka and then to its current location in St. Hyacinthe in 1947. In 1969, the school received its present day designation as the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal. The FMV is one of 5 veterinary teaching institutions in Canada and is the only French-speaking veterinary school in North America. There are approximately 400 students in its unique (among North American veterinary schools) 5-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Stay tuned for more information from the FMV and the Quebec veterinary associations regarding specific events planned in celebration of this milestone.
Lastly, I would like to remind everyone of the 63rd annual CVMA Convention that will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from July 6–9, 2011. Highlights of the convention will include the annual Summit of Canadian Veterinary Leaders, the second Emerging Leaders Program, wet labs, a wonderful multispecies scientific program, and business management sessions, to name but a few. Of course, there will also be a lobster supper and a Nova Scotia ceilidh at Pier 21, Canada’s national immigration museum. Mark these dates on your calendar and join me in my home province for another great CVMA Convention. CIAD MILE FAILTE (100 000 welcomes)!!
Footnotes
Use of this article is limited to a single copy for personal study. Anyone interested in obtaining reprints should contact the CVMA office (hbroughton@cvma-acmv.org) for additional copies or permission to use this material elsewhere.