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| Volume 8, Number 11 | February 16, 2001 |
| Alberta funds new Beef Cattle Health chair at Vet-Med CollegeThe Alberta government will contribute $1.5 million towards a new Academic Chair in Beef Cattle Health Management at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). In a Jan. 31 announcement, Alberta Learning Minister Dr. Lyle Oberg said, "This endowment will allow the College to expand research, attract students to specializations in agricultural veterinary practice and provide greater support to the needs of the beef cattle industry in Alberta and across the west." Based in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, the new chair will enhance education and research in beef cattle health management to graduate and undergraduate students. The chair will also serve as a liaison between the College, the beef cattle industry and government agencies involved in beef production. "We are very delighted that the government of Alberta has made this money available," said WCVM Dean Dr. Alex Livingston. "The beef production industry is very important to Canada’s economy, contributing almost $25 billion each year. Once the chair is established, the College will be able to continue its leadership in beef cattle health management with even greater effectiveness." The details of the chair are yet to be fully decided. Once they’re complete and all funding has been secured – in total around $3 million is required for full endowment – a search will begin for someone to fill the chair. It is anticipated that will begin this spring. "The cattle industry is of vital importance to the economy of western Canada," said Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development Minister Ty Lund. "Farmers in Alberta will benefit from the enhanced knowledge and expertise generated by this investment," Lund added "The creation of the research chair supports the continued development of the livestock industry, and Alberta’s investment is most welcome," said Glenn Hagel, Minister of Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education & Skills Training. "We also look forward to completing a new partnership agreement with Alberta and the other western provinces to sustain the College over the longer term." Alberta Treasurer Dr. Steve West noted "As a veterinarian I see this endowment as an important investment in the future of our beef production industry and the resources available to the veterinary profession in our province." The WCVM serves the four western provinces, and is one of only four veterinary colleges in Canada. Currently, 280 undergraduate students attend the College, including 80 from Alberta. In addition to the new funding for the chair, the Alberta government pays the U of S a portion of the College’s annual costs of instruction. This amounted to $1.9 million in 2000-01 and is based on the WCVM inter-provincial agreement among the four western provinces.
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