Ground Floor and Room 301 Display Cases, Murray Library
Curated by: Stevie Horn
Text adapted in part from WCVM Today.
The University of Saskatchewan officially became home to a college of veterinary medicine in August 1963. Teaching began in 1965, and a new facility opened in 1969. Even before the formal establishment of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the U of S, the University had a long history of research in animal sciences, with courses being offered as far back as 1913.
Many of those who worked with animals on campus in its early days went on to use those skills during the Great War. After the war, greater numbers of permanent positions in veterinary sciences were made available at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1923 a Department of Veterinary Science was established, followed a year later by the opening of the university's Fulton laboratory of animal diseases which was largely funded by the sale of a Western Equine Encephalitis vaccine developed on campus.
Starting in 1944 talks were underway regarding the formation of a college of veterinary medicine on campus catering to the unique needs of the western provinces. This culminated in the formation of what we know today as the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, "a vibrant centre of veterinary education, research and expertise for the entire region" and "a world-class institution whose facilities and programs continue to grow and adapt to the changing needs of its stakeholders across Western Canada."
