OVC gets $23M to address infrastructure needs

The University of Guelph will receive $23 million from the provincial government to support critical infrastructure renewal at the Ontario Veterinary College.

The money will support renovation and expansion at OVC, including new spaces for enhanced clinical teaching and learning and advanced surgery and anesthesia facilities, according to a March 18 OVC press release.

Liz Sandals, minister of education for Guelph, said the funding will allow the college to continue “providing students with hands-on, interactive learning experiences and research opportunities that improve our quality of life.”

The university had asked the government for $23 million toward a $33 million plan to address infrastructure needs at the veterinary college. OVC plans to raise the additional $10 million, with $6.5 million already committed.

Dr. Jeff Wichtel, OVC dean, said in the release that the university and veterinary college have invested in research to remain at the leading edge of learning, care, and discovery, but improvements to physical spaces have not kept pace.

The project will include new laboratory and classroom spaces equipped for computer-based case studies, patient simulators, and demonstration models. Modern surgery and anesthesia areas will be built in renovated spaces, and the college will install new equipment and improved biosecurity and infection control.

“The new facilities will ensure that OVC continues to help protect the health of people in Ontario through research, disease prevention, and a safe food supply,” Dr. Wichtel said in the release.