Point of order.

I appreciate the question coming from the member opposite, but we need to remember that what we’re debating today is enabling legislation, and the regulations will be facilitated through that new college that will be created, should this bill pass. With that said, I trust the individuals who have come together to work together to realize this modernization.

I’d like to give a shout-out to the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, as well as the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians and all of the other professions that provide services to either pets or livestock throughout this province. I trust that when it comes to those conversations that need to be had to bring forward regulations, there will be much thought and responsibility given to that action.

I’m really proud of the modernization that we’re talking about in this particular piece of legislation. Whether it’s for livestock or pets, what we’ve done here is actually bring two professions under one college. In that, that team-based approach is going to improve access so that when you need care for your pet, it will be available to you, because the—

Well, thank you very much for that question.

Simply put, the expansion and recognition of the scope of practice in our veterinary clinics across Ontario, whether it’s urban downtown Toronto or in Rainy River, is going to improve access. Specifically, when I say that, I mean the recognition of the scope of practice for veterinary technicians is going to be a game-changer, quite frankly. If a veterinarian is tied up and somebody comes in or phones in requesting care, in teaming up with a veterinarian, the vet tech can now fully practise to their full scope of experience and training.

In terms of veterinary medicine, I want to share with everyone in the House and watching today that women particularly are outnumbering men when it comes to this professional career. I’m really proud to say that there’s an equalizer, because if you have the training, you have the expertise and you have the passion, anyone can be part of the team that offers enhanced professional care to animals.

The other thing I want to share is that we’re approaching the increase to veterinary medicine by increasing the number of classes in Ontario by 20. We’re also incenting veterinarians to work in northern and remote areas of Ontario by incenting them upwards of $50,000 over five years if they practise large animal veterinary medicine.

The fact of the matter is, that amendment and that notion is outside of the scope of this enabling legislation.

I love the name Kevin for a dog, by the way—well done. I trust that he’s getting exemplary care—

I have to say to Minister Cho, my husband said, as well, “Who would ever think I’d fall so in love with a dog?” I think we all think that way when it comes to referring to our pets. And we know there are young people throughout this province of Ontario that, because they love pets, want to pursue a career. With the Enhancing the Professional Care for Animals Act, I think we’re creating a bright future for anyone who wants to pursue that career.

Thank you.

Now let’s talk about the work that was done in committee. When this bill was considered by the Standing Committee on the Interior, members of the committee heard from a wide variety of stakeholders, with 13 presenting in person and many more sending in written submissions.

During a particular presentation to the committee, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario’s chief executive officer, Jan Robinson, in particular, expressed how the college could not be more thrilled that our government heard the need for the modernization of the delivery of veterinary medicine in Ontario.

I want to take a moment to give Jan a shout-out. She has been an absolute champion in making sure that we had the bandwidth to reach out to stakeholders, but most importantly, when we had to have tough discussions and we had to really nail down what the priorities were for affiliated associations and organizations, she took the lead and made sure that people understood the importance of team and the importance of reflecting on the breadth of care that some people choose for their animals.

So, Jan, I want to thank you sincerely for that.

I also want to give a shout-out to some vet techs: Elise Wickett and Kelsey Streef. They spoke on behalf of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians during the committee presentation on Bill 171. They expressed the association’s strong support for what they believe is a comprehensive bill that will significantly enhance access to professional veterinary care in Ontario. Their enthusiasm and their points were well taken.

I think about Ashton Colvin, a vet tech who worked out of the Wingham veterinarian office, and she takes great care and pride in Maxi, her beloved dog at home. She said years ago that vet techs needed to be recognized for the expertise that they have, and I remember that conversation very well, when I was standing at their desk one day.

I think about the veterinary office that we visited, the clinic we visited in Thunder Bay. The veterinarian was very proud of his team of vet techs, and they were passionate and very eloquent in stating why the full scope of practice, expertise and training of vet techs should finally be recognized once and for all.

So those are some people who I can’t help but think of and thank for reaching out and really telling us what they thought in terms of the importance of modernizing this piece of legislation.

The Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians also made an important point that we could not have reached this particular stage we are at today without the collaboration of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, OVMA—and I want to give a shout-out to all of you at that particular association as well. Again, I appreciate the candour, the heart and the seriousness in which you brought forward not only your ideas but your concerns. I have every confidence going forward, when we move past this enabling legislation into regulations, if this legislation should pass, that you will work incredibly well with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario to work on regulations that make sense for the entire suite of services and care that people choose to access for their pets, for their horses and for livestock across Ontario.

I really value the relationship that was trusted so that the candid discussion could be achieved. It wasn’t lost on me, and I really want to take time to say thank you again to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association for all they did to help us get to this point, as well.

Our partnerships have been crucial. As the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians stated, continued collaboration will lead to further advancements in the veterinary profession in Ontario. I couldn’t agree more. As I’ve said, this proposed legislation will, if passed, regulate both veterinarians and veterinary technicians, reflecting again on one profession, two professionals. It’s an approach and delivery of veterinary medicine in Ontario that will lead by example across Canada.

In order to reflect this change, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario would be renamed the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario. It is our government’s expectation that the college will develop regulations that provide a clear and broad definition of the scope of practice that is in line with the skills and training that vet techs possess. This is something that was supported in all written and verbal submissions to the Standing Committee on the Interior. Again, I appreciate everyone’s input in that regard.

Let me take a moment to share some of those written submissions. For example, Ontario Pork said, “Ontario Pork supports the delivery of veterinary care using a team-based approach and the importance of registered veterinary technicians in providing veterinary care. By enabling better access to veterinary services and the scope of care provided, the proposed bill will help ensure that farmers can receive veterinary care for their livestock when needed.”

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture said something similar. Speaking about bringing veterinary technicians under the same college as vets, the OFA said they believe “this will help to alleviate the workload of large animal veterinarians, especially in underserviced areas of the province, and increase producer access.”

While veterinarians and veterinary technicians are critical to animal care in Ontario, there are other service providers who also have a role. This bill recognizes that there are qualified and competent care providers who are not veterinary professionals, but they have an important role to play in animal health if owners choose to pursue their services.

We have taken an approach which continues access to care while also protecting the health and well-being of animals. The new act will enable regulations to be made to formalize exemptions for non-veterinarian practitioners and help assure the public that these animal care providers will be qualified and competent to provide safe care. These regulations will set out the terms, conditions, limitations, guidelines and prohibitions that will detail how these professionals can safely continue providing care to animals.

For example, pharmacists will be able to continue to compound, dispense and sell medication to an animal owner if they have a prescription for it—again, if this legislation should pass. We’re also enabling choice for pet owners by allowing them to fill their prescriptions through their vet or to get a prescription they can take to another store or pharmacist.

Another important aspect that was raised in consultation was access to ultrasounds for pregnant animals; in particular, small ruminants such as sheep and goats. If passed, this bill will ensure that ultrasound technicians who provide pregnancy checks—preg-checks; they’re important—for small ruminants will be able to continue to do so. Just to rephrase that, throughout Ontario, we have technicians who can go on-farm and, in a non-invasive way, facilitate preg-checks for sheep and goats. Their services are invaluable, and we just wanted to share that example as an exemption that will be well received by farmers.

This particular exemption, in allowing technicians to perform preg-checks on small ruminants, was also supported by stakeholders who wrote to the committee. For example, Ontario Sheep Farmers wrote, “Our organization was very happy to see the provision in the act allowing an exception for pregnancy ultrasounds performed on sheep. Ultrasound is an important tool used by our members to confirm pregnancy and ultrasound technicians are trusted members of our farmers’ animal care teams.” That was well said.

This bill, if passed, would also continue a number of key exemptions that exist in the current Veterinarians Act, such as the ability for farmers, their families and employees to provide care for their animals.

I think about our farm. Again, we live in a large, rural area. My husband has our veterinarian on speed-dial. They have a wonderful relationship, a trusting relationship. Our vet, Clayton, enables Dennis to care for our animals to the best of his ability.

Our act, if passed, would continue to allow farmers to use ultrasounds on their own animals, as is the current practice.

The bill does not propose to regulate lower-risk services such as grooming, hoof trimming or massage.

There are some animal owners, mainly owners of horses and dogs, who choose to seek chiropractic care for their animals, as well. This bill will, if passed, provide title protection for chiropractors and allow the college to make regulations to set out the parameters on how animal chiropractic care can continue to be offered safely.

Chiropractors working on animals would remain members of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario and would not have to be a member of two different regulated colleges. The committee did hear from the Ontario Chiropractic Association, who welcomed the opportunity to continue to consult as the regulations are created, and I trust that through this effort and the facilitation of discussion that will lead to solid regs, all parties involved will do what’s right to ensure that services can be available if an animal owner—or, in this instance, an owner of horses—chooses to access that particular service.

Again, I really appreciate the manner in which all parties have come together to recognize the importance of modernizing this particular piece of legislation. And should it pass, the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario would be required to consult with any profession which provides treatment that would be addressed in regulations and report those outcomes to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. This would include chiropractors.

Let’s talk about governance for a moment. With respect to governance, this bill also addresses the governance of the college. It would, if passed, add new objects to the college, including working with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on access to adequate numbers of qualified, skilled and competent veterinary professionals. The proposed bill will also include a number of improvements that will enable the regulatory college to achieve positive outcomes. The proposed legislation would see the renamed college have six committees to oversee activities, ranging from accreditation, to licensing, to quality assurance, and disciplinary matters.

I’m going to focus on what the legislation calls “quality assurance” programming right now, because it breaks down into a couple of things. The college would be able to create requirements for continuing education for members, something that the College of Veterinarians of Ontario has requested and most other self-regulated professions require. Members of the college would be required to report if they suspect another member’s abilities are impaired by health or other issues, and there would be legal protections for members who make such reports in good faith. The college would be able to collect and make public more information about its members, similar to other regulated professions in Ontario. These professions, of course, are regulated throughout the province.

In a written submission to the Standing Committee on the Interior, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario said, “The college is encouraged by the inclusion of a mandatory quality assurance program for the practice of veterinary medicine that will help to ensure ongoing competency amongst its membership.”

Ladies and gentlemen, all of these proposed changes would bring the veterinary profession in line with other self-regulated professions in Ontario, and I’m very, very proud of that.

Again, if the legislation is passed, the council for the college would also be expanded to include veterinary technicians, representatives from a veterinary medicine program and a vet technician program as well as more members of the public. This would bring more perspectives to the table—in other words, bring different lenses to a situation when decisions are being made.

One of the concerns we heard during the consultations was that the complaint resolution process for veterinarians took far too long. This bill proposes to streamline that process, which will be incredibly good for both animal owners and veterinarians alike.

All in all, reaction to this bill has been very positive, both as we are consulting and at the Standing Committee on the Interior. I am proud that we took the time to consider stakeholder feedback and to incorporate it into Bill 171. After consulting widely, we feel confident that we are taking the right steps for both pets and livestock.

During the committee hearing, we also addressed the shortage of vets. I understand that the member from Mushkegowuk–James Bay raised some questions about how this bill would help improve access to veterinary care in the north. We recognize that there is a shortage of veterinarians in many rural and northern communities, and we are taking action to address this shortage through this bill and through additional initiatives.

As mentioned during second reading of Bill 171, I see this proposed legislation as one leg of a three-legged stool that supports our goal to improve veterinary care access across Ontario. We developed the Veterinary Incentive Program to encourage veterinarians to set up large practices in underserved communities. Under this program, up to 100 newly licensed vets are eligible to receive up to $50,000 over five years to practise on large animals in underserviced areas of the province. Since this program was announced late last year, nine veterinarians have been approved to receive this incentive. I’m really proud of that. We’ve taken what we’ve heard and we’ve taken action to make it so. I appreciate everyone who was involved in that particular initiative.

I think it’s also important to recognize that we have announced that we are investing up to $14.7 million to create 20 new seats in veterinary medicine programs in Ontario starting in September 2025.

I should note that technology is already playing a part in increasing access to veterinary care. I think it’s somewhat interesting that here we are today, on May 16—happy birthday to my brother, Dennis—in a week whereby, I understand, students desiring to pursue a career in veterinary medicine are actually being interviewed. So it’s kind of timely, if you will—the synchronicity of debating this bill in third reading and understanding that students aspiring to be a veterinarian are in the midst of interviews to determine whether they actually will be one of those new students in the full suite of opportunities that we are making available through this particular legislation. Again, that makes it somewhat surreal, but it underscores the importance—because, again, we need more veterinarians across the province of Ontario, especially northern Ontario, and in underserviced areas throughout rural Ontario.

We know that the veterinary profession in Ontario is revered, quite frankly, around the world. I give a shout-out to everyone—the colleges that I’ve mentioned already, through to the universities that are enabling this practice to become a career that people can be proud of.

I think it’s interesting; when we talk about advancing and modernizing not only this veterinarian legislation but services, we have to embrace technology as well. I mentioned before that my husband really values our veterinarian, Clayton, and when needed, he’s only a text away. Technology is changing the way veterinarians can support farmers and pet owners alike. We heard about how farmers, especially in northern Ontario, might be hours away from a veterinarian. In that particular situation, where distance could prove to be a hurdle that’s tough to get over, telemedicine can really help. While some vets and farmers, as I mentioned, in our own case on our farm, are using technology to their advantage, I anticipate that more vet techs attending to a patient and consulting with a veterinarian over the phone will happen more and more.

For instance, if passed, this particular legislation will—again, as I mentioned earlier—recognize the full scope of expertise and training that vet techs have. In order to increase access to care, if a veterinarian is on one end of the county and a call comes in on the opposite end of the county, technically—ideally—if this legislation should pass, under the veterinarian’s direction, a vet tech could go to that particular farm or pet owner in the north end of the county and start assessing the situation, and be in contact with the veterinarian to determine what the best next steps are. I think that is a tremendous example of how there will be so much value in modernizing this particular piece of legislation—and I thank everybody’s contributions in making it so.

Just to conclude, I want to share with everyone that, together with the vet incentive program, when we talk about increasing access to veterinarian care, the 20 new vet school seats and the proposed legislation that we are discussing today will help us care for our animals, whether they be pets, service animals or livestock. I believe the proposed legislation will work for animals and animal owners right across this province.

I appreciate the opportunity to have presented this piece of legislation, Bill 171, to the House. It’s important. Our agriculture and food industry is a significant contributor to our overall GDP, to the tune of $48 billion. We are an industry that is strong, poised to grow, and we need to make sure the professional services needed to support that growth are recognized in the manner in which they deserve. I think we’ve achieved that in Bill 171.

I’m so incredibly proud of the work that has gone into this bill, as well. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to our team at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Ryan, as policy director, has owned this particular piece of legislation and all the activities that were needed to get us to this point, and he was supported incredibly well by Lindsay and Tara—Lindsay being director of strategy; Tara, of course, being chief of staff. Our entire team in our minister’s office has worked so incredibly hard to make sure we’ve nailed down proper communications, and we’ve worked incredibly well with stakeholders. I can tell you earnestly that we’ve had some tough discussions in order to get where we are today, and we need to recognize that people came to the table with the best intentions.

This enabling piece of legislation, if passed, will enable regulations to be put in place that will ultimately ensure pet owners, livestock owners and horse owners alike will have access to the professional care that they choose.

I also would like to take a moment to reflect on the debate that we’ve had leading up to this point in third reading, and I want to thank the members opposite—I want to thank the people for recognizing that we have done our homework and we’re getting it right. This has been—again, I remind everyone—something that has been asked for, for over 10 years, and I’m so incredibly proud to be able to work with a team that understood the importance, understood the realities that underscored the need to modernize this piece of legislation.

I feel strongly that this bill takes a balanced and risk-based approach to the practice of veterinary medicine, while continuing to protect animal health and well-being, all the while respecting all the professionals who at one point in time may get called upon to care for a loved pet.

Actually, when I think about it, we have a dog getting spayed in the Wingham Veterinary Clinic right now. I hope everything goes well.

Again, it’s because we love our animals that we need access to these services, not only at home in Huron–Bruce, but across this province of Ontario.

I can’t underscore enough how our entire team has worked so incredibly closely with the stakeholders throughout Ontario to reach this stage of third reading. We’re truly heartened to have received such thorough, thoughtful and instructive feedback and response to it. I submit to the members opposite and to everyone watching today that there has been so much work that has gone into it. I thank you for recognizing that. I’m sincere in saying that. I thank you for your unanimous support in second reading.

I understand that at the committee of the interior, there were good discussions, but as we tweaked it during clause by-clause, there were not a lot of adversarial comments. The tweaks that we made during clause-by-clause made sense. Thank you to all the committee members who saw the importance of what we were doing. We can’t state enough how important committee work is. I’m sincere in saying thank you to everyone who helped get Bill 171 through the committee stages, as well. I appreciate it very much.

Just to close, I want to recognize that it’s important to have a provincial lens on everything we do in this province. I’m really thrilled to be working with two gentlemen who represent—actually, the trifecta here, we pretty much represent all of Ontario, when we add in our valued colleagues from the north.

The member from Essex and the member from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston are going to continue on this discussion and continue to share and tell everyone in the House today and people watching why modernizing this particular Veterinarians Act is so important in 2024.

At the end of the day, I feel it’s very important that our professionals who get up at any hour of the day—and I mean any hour of the day—to care for our animals need to be well supported. We’re doing just that if this legislation should pass.

Thank you very much. I’ll hand it over to one of my amazing PAs, the member of provincial Parliament from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston.

It’s a pleasure to rise in the House today to continue our discussion on the importance of enhancing professional care for animals. I’m very pleased to be sharing my time today with my two amazing parliamentary assistants, the members from Essex and from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston.

Before I begin, I also would like to give a shout-out to both MPP Flack from Elgin–Middlesex–London as well as MPP Jones from Chatham-Kent–Leamington, because they too have played an important role in shepherding this important piece of legislation through to where we are today.

Back to the MPPs from Essex and Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston, though: They’ve just recently begun their roles as parliamentary assistants in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and I want to say thank you. Thank you for jumping in with both feet and supporting not only this important piece of proposed legislation, but for jumping in and embracing the amazing work that gets done at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

I also want to go back to the MPP from Elgin–Middlesex–London. In his role as parliamentary assistant for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, he actually facilitated consultations on this particular proposed piece of legislation across the province. We all know that agriculture and food is very important to him, as well. I appreciate all the effort that went into it.

To the members of the Standing Committee on the Interior and everyone who presented at the committee and/or submitted written submissions as well, I’d like to thank everyone’s efforts. I appreciate that I’m hearing that there’s going to be unanimous support for this. We’ll see when the vote happens, but I can tell you with certainty that we took the time to listen, to understand and, most importantly, to work with our stakeholders to ensure we get it right.

The Veterinarians Act needed to be reviewed, because it was first introduced in 1989. It has served Ontario animals and animal owners very, very well over the past 35 years, but it’s 2024, and it’s time we take a look at modernizing and making sure that we are enabling access across this province to professional care that pet owners and farmers alike deserve and need.

In 1989, it was Jack Riddell who introduced the Veterinarians Act. At the time, Jack represented Huron–Middlesex. Huron, as you know, is very important to me. I think it is somewhat surreal but an absolute honour to continue to build on something that a farmer from Huron county put his heart into, to continue on today to make sure that his legacy lives on through the initial piece of legislation. I take this opportunity to bring it forward into 2024 and beyond in order to make sure that we have a modernized system that enables professional care for animals.

In the years since the act was first updated, the practice of veterinary medicine has evolved significantly, transforming the way that animals are cared for in Ontario. As discussed during second reading and at the standing committee, veterinary care is increasingly provided by a team of qualified professionals. This proposed legislation reflects that the reality of one profession of veterinary medicine comprised of two professionals, veterinarians and veterinary technicians, has to be recognized. Registered veterinary technicians have specialized education, training and experience in animal care and are vital in terms of that team approach to care in many veterinary settings.

Again, we know we have a shortage of veterinarians in northern Ontario, rural Ontario and remote areas across this province, and vet techs are ready to step up and say, “We’ve got the expertise. We’ve got the training.”

I know our veterinarians will embrace their approach as well, because again, one team, two professionals—it really makes sense today, in 2024, across the province of Ontario.

The current legislative framework, though, under the Veterinarians Act does not formally recognize the role of veterinary technicians. Do you know what? They have a very important role to play in animal care. By formally recognizing the role of veterinary technicians, we are expecting to enhance access to veterinary care and strengthen the animal care system in Ontario. By recognizing their complete scope of practice, it is our intent that this will result in more vet techs providing more treatments and services that they are trained to do and have the expertise to do, as well.

I know that RVTs, registered vet techs, and vet tech students are excited about having their role and training formally recognized.

Shortly before this bill was introduced, I really appreciated the opportunity to attend the AGM of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians. While I couldn’t necessarily tell the registered vet techs in attendance that this bill was imminent, let me tell you, they knew and appreciated that we had been consulting on updating the Veterinarians Act. There were 1,200 people very excited about the future of their field of expertise.

Let’s take a moment, let’s pause and let’s go back to revisit how we got here today. Access to veterinary care has long been a challenge, especially in rural and northern Ontario. The College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, and the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians have been working together to advocate for changes to the Veterinarians Act for more than a decade. For more than a decade, they’ve been asking for this modernization, and I’m so proud to say it’s under the leadership of Premier Ford and our government that we’re getting the job done.

We knew the act was out of date, and we wanted to make sure any changes we proposed would help all animal owners, their animals, and our farmers. Husbandry is very important when you think about the priorities on-farm. In order to do that, though, we asked veterinarians, vet technicians, animal owners and farmers alike, animal welfare groups and others for their input. We took time, as I mentioned earlier, to listen to their concerns, their suggestions and their desires to see this particular act modernized.

In November 2022, my ministry launched a dedicated web page where the public was to submit ideas on how to modernize the Veterinarians Act.

Then, on March 1, 2023, we published a discussion paper and a proposal on the Regulatory Registry. My ministry also ran webinars where interested people could learn more about the proposal, ask questions and make comments. Through these consultations, we received more than 300 submissions. I was very impressed by that, and I thank everyone who took time to put pen to paper.

In order to make sure we heard from Ontarians from different parts of the province, the Associate Minister of Housing, Rob Flack, hosted seven round-table discussions.

Throughout these consultations, the majority of people told us they supported the proposed modernization of the Veterinarians Act. As a result of those consultations and taking into consideration more than 300 submissions, on March 7 of this year, I had the privilege of introducing this particular bill, Bill 171, an act to enact the enhanced professional care for animals act.

I want to thank all the members of this House for their support of this bill on second reading; in fact, Speaker, I was really over the moon, to be quite honest, to note that it was unanimous support.

Interjections.

Yes, Yak-tastic, as my colleague said. Also, I have to share that that access to underserviced communities is going to be incredibly well received, from Sturgeon Falls to Markdale, which is represented by our amazing member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound.

We have also announced that we are investing up to $14.7 million in the creation of veterinary medicine seats, which will result in 20 additional veterinarians graduating each year. All of these actions, together with the proposed Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, will help us to care for our animals, whether they be pets, service animals or livestock.

At the end of the day, this is making sure that people who choose to be pet owners or people who proudly farm and have livestock that they care for have the supports needed, because animals play such an important role. We’ve got a 75-pound lap dog. I don’t know how that happened; my husband will blame me. But we would do anything for her. And even, begrudgingly, my husband would do anything for our barn cats. Our livestock, our purebred Boer goats matter as well, because we are raising our goats in spirit of having the very best genetics in the province of Ontario that other people can benefit from. Those six goats that we kept are working very hard to make sure that we are coming back and increasing our herd in rapid style, much to our chagrin in some cases. We like twins. We’re good with twins, but these triplets and quads blow my mind. I’m always busy on the weekends when I get home to be hands-on.

I also want to share that we’re sincere in the manner in which we are coming forward with this piece of legislation. Bill 171 represents a cumulative effort to make sure we’re getting it right in the spirit of modernization. Getting it right means that there needs to be compromise and that there needs to be the opportunity to understand the importance of working together in the spirit of making sure that, together, in the spirit of a team, we are enabling Ontarians to access the care that they choose, when and where they need it.

Again, our government is getting it done. When you combine the modernization of the Veterinarians Act with the proposed legislation that we’re talking about today, with the fact that we’ve made a significant investment—up to $50,000 over five years—to incent veterinarians to go into practice to care for large animals, particularly in northern and rural remote areas that are underserviced, and you combine that with the additional 20 seats that MCU has worked with finance and OMAFRA on, our government is taking bold steps that haven’t been taken for decades.

Again, this legislation hasn’t been looked at for 35 years, and we need to modernize. I think about our veterinarian at home, Clayton. When I reached out to him to get his perspective on this legislation that we’re bringing forward, he was excited. He said, “I don’t think many veterinarians in this county have had a Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reach out to see how they felt about a piece of legislation.” That’s the difference between our government and governments of the past. We care enough to take the time to listen.

With that, I look forward to passing the floor over to my esteemed colleague from Chatham-Kent–Leamington. I hope you’ll listen to what he has to share, because he has played a pivotal role in the process of bringing this legislation to the floor.

Thank you for that.

You know, when the first set of quads arrived, it was like, “Oh my gosh, she did it all herself.” Just on Sunday, we had our last doe kid-out and she had quads. Unfortunately, she’s a younger goat, and she’s like, “What are these four things hanging around me?” So we have—the collective we, meaning my brother and sister-in-law—had to be very hands-on. I want to give a shout-out to Al and Teresa for taking that extra care to make sure those four little kids are getting the nutrition they need at a pivotal time.

But a preg-check could—if we were able and had access to the technology, a preg-check would have come in really handy because we would have known what we were going to be experiencing this spring.

Larger herds and bigger farmers actually really benefit from the low-risk preg-checks that can be facilitated, and we need to make sure that that continues, both for sheep farmers and goat farmers, and I also heard from pork producers as well that they need to be continuing to—how do I say this? Pork producers also want to be able to continue the practice of preg-checks in their facilities as well, because it could get very costly.

With low margins and the cost of farming going nowhere but up based on added expenses and the bad policy that we’re seeing from the federal government—I’d be remiss if I didn’t have a second pause and say that margins are tight on farms, and we need to be doing everything we can to help farmers succeed, as opposed to what we see coming from the federal Liberal government right now. I wish the provincial Liberals would stand up to them and say, “Look, we need to make sure that we’re enabling our farmers to be the very best they can be, as opposed to weighing down their shoulders with heavy carbon tax implications.” April 1 is just around the corner. It’s happening next week. When costs of production continue to skyrocket because of this ill-advised policy, it’s important that we do everything we can here provincially to let them know that we are proud of our farmers and we’re trying to reduce burden and reduce the cost of production for them, to offset what little we can because of the bad policies coming from the federal level.

To get back to the subject at hand, if this bill is passed, it would ensure that ultrasound technicians that provide pregnancy checks for small ruminants will continue to be able to do so.

This bill also continues a number of key exemptions that exist in the current Veterinarians Act, such as the ability for farmers, their families and employees to continue to provide care for their animals. This would include continuing the exemption for farmers who have taken the courses to perform preg-checks on their own animals. That’s really important.

This bill also does not propose to regulate lower-risk services such as grooming, hoof trimming or massage. I have to give a shout-out to Ezra. Thank you for coming out on Saturday morning to trim the hooves of our does. We really appreciated that. It’s important. Husbandry matters, and we need to be able to access those people who have those skills.

Rural Ontario has a plethora of talented people who care for animals, and we need to do everything we can, again, to embrace that team approach, recognizing how important our veterinarians are, our registered vet techs, but also that there are other people who provide services to help us be the best we can be in the care of our animals on farm.

Now, as I mentioned, this bill will, if passed, change the name of the regulatory college to the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario. It will also add new objects to the college, including working with the minister on access to adequate numbers of qualified, skilled and competent veterinary professionals.

Our bill also includes a number of improvements that will enable the regulatory college to achieve positive outcomes. These improvements include establishing a more diverse council, enabling mandatory quality assurance programming, streamlining the complaints process—and upholding the public trust in the field of veterinary medicine is paramount. That all sounds very complicated so I’ll spell it out for you.

The council for the renamed College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario would be expanded to include veterinary technicians, representatives from a vet school and a vet tech program and more members of the public. This will bring more perspectives to the table when decisions are being made. What the legislation calls quality assurance programming breaks down to a few things. The college will be able to create requirements for continuing education for its members, something the college has requested and most other self-regulated professions already require. All these proposed changes would bring the veterinary profession in line with other self-regulated professions across Ontario.

One of the concerns we heard during the consultations was that the complaint resolution process for veterinarians took far too long, on both sides of that equation, if you will. This bill proposes to streamline that process, which will be good for both, as I alluded to, veterinarians as well as animal owners. All in all, stakeholder reaction to the proposed modernization has been very positive. Again, I’m proud of the work that entire team has committed to get it right.

I’d also like to share with everyone that the reality is this community of people who care for our pets and our livestock throughout Ontario have been asking for this modernization for years. Their last big push to address this was in 2017. I’m so very proud to stand in front of you today to demonstrate that our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, had the capacity, had the understanding and had the commitment to listening, consulting, to get it right. It’s our government that’s getting it done, not only for pet owners and for farmers, but we’re getting it done for the professionals who pride themselves in the care that they give in terms of professional care for animals and livestock. Again, building on the legacy of Jack Riddell and the legislation that he introduced 35 years ago, I am very confident that with this legislation and by working with our stakeholders through regulation development, we absolutely will have a foundation for which we can enhance, with confidence, professional care for animals from one end of this province to another.

Madam Speaker, I’m glad that an incredible amount of time was taken to consider the feedback from all of our stakeholders. People will see themselves in this legislation because we took time to reflect on the common-sense approach to the modernization of this particular act. I’m very proud of the manner in which it’s been incorporated into the proposed Veterinary Professionals Act.

Recognizing that there is a team of professionals that come together in the spirit of animal care, does everyone agree? Of course not, but this legislation recognizes the reality that we have across this province here and now. It’s in that spirit of collaboration that I invite all of our professions to continue to work together to make sure that we get it right, because at the end of the day, it is about enhancing our animal care, increasing access, giving certainty to people, pet owners and livestock owners alike across this province so that they have access to good veterinary care. And most importantly, there’s choice as well, like the example that once you have your prescription, you can go to your pharmacist to fill it if you so choose. Choice matters as well in this instance.

Given the extensive consultations undertaken, we feel confident that we are taking the right steps, with actions that will help strengthen the agriculture and food sector and help us to grow Ontario together. That’s the spirit in which our Grow Ontario Strategy was devised and introduced in the fall of 2022. What we’re doing here today with Bill 171 fits so well into our overall Grow Ontario Strategy. Modernizing the legislative framework and increasing veterinary capacity are part of our government’s Grow Ontario Strategy.

Grow Ontario is our provincial agricultural and food pathway, if you will, and it aims to attract and grow Ontario’s agri-food talent. More specifically, these proposed changes would support the government’s plan to develop and increase capacity in the agriculture and agri-food sector. Increasing total agri-food sector employment by 10% by 2032 is a key goal of our overall Grow Ontario Strategy. Like these proposed changes, which arose directly from stakeholder consultations, the Grow Ontario Strategy was informed by the insights of industry.

Speaker, I see the Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act as one leg of a three-legged stool that supports our government’s goal to improve veterinary care throughout Ontario. Another way we are working to address the labour challenge is by making investments to address veterinary shortages in rural and northern communities. Through our Veterinary Incentive Program, we are encouraging up to 100 recently graduated veterinarians to work in large-animal practices. This program will give these new vets up to $50,000 over five years to work in an underserviced area of the province to address critical skill and labour shortages. This program was announced late last year and already we’re seeing new veterinarians receiving funding to practise in underserved communities, from Fort Frances to Cobden—and Cobden comes from the great county of Renfrew, which has an MPP proudly representing it, day in and day out.

It’s a pleasure to rise in the House today to speak to the second reading of Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, 2024. I’ll be sharing my time with my esteemed parliamentary assistant, the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington.

Interjections.

Before I begin, though, there are a number of people that I would like to thank for the role they played in getting us to where we are today. First of all, thank you to my parliamentary assistant, the MPP for Chatham-Kent–Leamington. His support through this process was unwavering and he has worked incredibly hard—double duty, if you will—in making sure everything flows really well. I just appreciate his spirit and everything he does.

I’d also like to recognize the now Associate Minister of Housing. When he served as my parliamentary assistant last year, he led a large part of the consultations on this bill, and he played a significant role in making sure that we landed in the right place to be able to bring this forward today.

I also want to thank all the stakeholders who have worked so incredibly well with us through this process, including the College of Veterinarians, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians, and there are so many others.

You know, whenever you bring a substantial bill forward, the meetings and the discussions are so, so important because, again, everyone has their opinions and the direction that they would like to seek. But at the end of the day, once we made our way through all the important discussions, we found a landing spot where, I’m so incredibly pleased, everyone supports.

I think a testimony to that and the work that everyone has done happened just a few weeks ago. I think the date was March 7, when the gallery was full of stakeholders here to see the tabling of this important piece of legislation. Over 20 associations alone attended the introduction to support Bill 171. Again, their commitment to seeing this through is so very appreciated. We’re better because of their involvement as well.

Dr. Wade Wright, president of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, said, when we tabled the bill on March 7, “Today is a pinnacle moment, a significant step toward a robust and effective legislative framework to govern veterinary medicine in Ontario.”

Doug Brooks, president and CEO of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society, said, “This is an important step to increase access to veterinary care in Ontario and we look forward to working with the province to further ensure all animals can get the care they need.”

Bill 171 represents the ideas and suggestions we heard from both the public as well as stakeholders. But all of the ideas in the world wouldn’t do any good without people who can turn those ideas into legislation. I wouldn’t be standing here talking about this bill today without the dedication and amazing commitment of team OMAFRA.

Not only does my direct team in the minister’s office deserve a shout-out—they’ve been phenomenal, shepherding this piece of legislation to where we are today—but I also would like to recognize David Hagarty, assistant deputy minister for the policy division; Andrea Martin, director of the food safety and environmental policy branch, and her team, Robert Blenkinsop, Michael Richardson, William Martin and Vicky Grahovac; and also the OMAFRA legal team: Shannon DeLeskie, Mark Schofield and Rushda Munshi. Honest to goodness, this was an effort that required heavy lifting by all of our team members.

Interjections.

We worked diligently right through to the eleventh hour. I really, really appreciate the work that we received and the desire to make sure we got it right in a short turnaround time. I really think that we’re stronger because of their commitment to getting this done.

I want to start by sharing a reflection with all of you. Bill 171, the Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, would repeal the Veterinarians Act and replace it with the Veterinary Professionals Act. The Veterinarians Act was introduced in 1989 and—

Interjection.

I have to tell you, this legislation is 35 years old, and it has served Ontario animals and animal owners well. The reflection I want to share with you is that it was actually introduced by a predecessor of mine, Jack Riddell, whom we recently paid tribute to in this House. It was a much-needed step forward at the time. I look upon Bill 171 as building on the great foundation that Jack Riddell built. Essentially, one Huron county MPP picks up where the other one left off, so that is pretty cool too, in and of itself.

Jack not only was the Minister of Agriculture and Food, but he represented our riding so incredibly well. At the time, he represented both Huron county and Huron–Middlesex. Today, I’m proudly in front of you representing both Huron and Bruce counties. Jack had an amazing tie and connection to the agricultural community throughout all of Ontario.

In introducing this bill, I believe that it’s a tribute to the amazing work that Jack started and we’re continuing to modernize. I think he would be pleased that another person who calls Huron county home is picking up and getting it right. Because we need to make sure that not only animals across Ontario but our professionals have the right supports in place, and that’s all defined through legislation.

Our government recognizes that animals play such an important part in our world, from cats to dogs to unique household pets through to livestock in our barn. We all do our very best to make sure that they’re well cared for. I think it’s important to share that not only do we need to think about our companion pets, but we need to think about what it means to have the responsibility of caring for both pets and livestock.

We know animals serve society in more formal roles. Service dogs are trained to assist many people who are visually impaired. They are also being trained to help in other ways, like alerting owners to an imminent epileptic seizure, or just a calming feature for people who need that outlet to relieve their stress. From police horses to Canada Border Services Agency dogs, we also rely on animals to protect our society. Finally, we need to recognize that a good source of protein is realized through livestock as well. According to Stats Canada, in 2021, there were more than 20,000 livestock farms in Ontario. Farmers take good care of their animals, and they take pride in that. This bill is intended to help them do that as well.

Drew Spoelstra is the new president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and he has hit the ground running. I appreciated his comments on this particular bill, and I’m going to quote him: “Veterinarians play a critical role, promoting the health and welfare of animals and maintaining a healthy, safe and sustainable agri-food system. These proposed changes to modernize and streamline the act will ensure Ontario farmers have access to modern and quality care for their livestock, a crucial component to the economic stability of Ontario’s rural communities.” That is so true.

Honest to goodness, when we take a look at the overall landscape, all animals need access to veterinary care, regardless of whether they are pets, service animals, working animals or livestock. Even wild animals sometimes depend on veterinary care if they are injured and are taken to a wildlife sanctuary.

So much was harvested, if you will, through the consultations that Associate Minister Flack facilitated on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Knowing that access to veterinary care has long been a challenge, especially in rural and northern Ontario, we began to look at how the Veterinarians Act could be modernized to address that. We reached out to stakeholders and the public to hear their suggestions and ideas about how to increase access to veterinary care.

Just as we developed the Grow Ontario Strategy, things were happening in tandem. Some of you may recall that we have three main pillars in our Grow Ontario Strategy: a safe and secure supply chain; a commitment to research and innovation; as well as attracting the very best talent, and veterinarians are part of that as well. We made a commitment to listen to stakeholders in that spirit and take time to consider their feedback carefully.

In November 2022, my ministry launched a pre-consultation for the public to submit ideas to modernize the Veterinarians Act through a dedicated web page. A more detailed discussion paper based on consultations and research done by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario and a proposal to modernize the Veterinarians Act—all of that information was posted on the regulatory registry on March 1, 2023, for three months.

That particular proposal that was posted on the regulatory registry stated, “The goal of this modernization is to better define the scope of practice for veterinary medicine, improve transparency and align oversight of Ontario’s veterinary profession with other self-governing regulated professions in the province, to uphold the public interest. By modernizing the act, the government is laying the groundwork to increase the availability of veterinarian services for both pets and large animals.”

Between the posting and the web page, our ministry received nearly 300 submissions from veterinarians, vet techs, agricultural groups, animal welfare groups and individual citizens. In April and May 2023, OMAFRA staff also provided information about the proposal during four public webinars. Alongside these sessions, former parliamentary assistant Flack hosted several round table discussions across the table. The round tables were held in St. Thomas, Barrie, Lindsay, Huntsville, Pembroke, Thunder Bay and Toronto. I want to thank my colleagues who co-hosted these round tables, which included agricultural groups, local humane societies, veterinarians and other interested individuals.

I again want to commend the Associate Minister of Housing for the work that he did on this, and I expect he will speak to this bill and share with members of this House more about what he heard from the over 120 people who attended the round tables and webinars.

The majority of these submissions supported the proposed modernization of the Veterinarians Act and the proposals outlined in the discussion document. There was also a strong interest among stakeholders in ensuring a modernized legislative framework so it could better serve the needs of veterinarians, the public and our agricultural industry—not just for today but for years to come.

Now, in the spirit of modernizing the legislative framework, I also want to reflect and talk about our veterinary technicians. After a year and a half of consultation with stakeholders and partners, I’m so very pleased to bring forward proposed changes to the legislative framework for veterinarians and veterinary professionals to better reflect how veterinary medicine is delivered today.

Our proposed legislation will, if passed, recognize the important role that veterinary technicians play in delivering care to animals. Over the past 35 years, delivery of veterinary care has become a team endeavour—I can’t stress that enough; veterinary care is really, truly facilitated by a team in our communities—however, vet techs are not recognized in the current Veterinarians Act. This new, modernized act will, if passed, regulate both veterinarians and veterinary technicians, reflecting a “one profession, two professionals” approach to the delivery of veterinary medicine in Ontario.

In order to reflect that change, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario will be renamed the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario. The renamed college will create regulations, subject to the government’s approval, that will outline the scope of practice for veterinary technicians. It is our expectation in government that the regulations will define a broad scope of practice that is in line with the skills and training registered vet techs possess.

I think it’s really important to share with you that I was honoured to speak at the registered vet techs conference in Hamilton just a couple of weeks ago. In doing so, the magnitude of what we’re doing by enabling a scope of practice for registered vet techs really hit me. Honest to goodness, Speaker, people were in tears when they heard that we were moving forward to recognize their training and their expertise. I know that this has been asked for for a long time. It’s our government that is proudly getting it done on their behalf.

Why does this matter? Well, we all know, especially in rural and northern Ontario, we have a shortage of veterinarians. By recognizing the scope of practice for registered vet techs, there’s going to be increased access to care in the spirit of that team approach that I just referenced. And I know when I travelled to Thunder Bay about 18 months ago or so and visited a vet clinic, the veterinarian and his techs alike really were truly advocating for a modernization of the act so that he could extend his services through the expertise and training of his amazing team of vet techs. That was a really good visit and drove home for me that we were indeed on the right track to get this done.

For those who aren’t aware, the vet tech program is a two-year diploma program offered at a variety of institutions across this province. I think it’s amazing because, again, it’s so important that students, if they so choose, can learn at home. When they learn at home, chances are, in rural Ontario, they stay close to home as well. There are two-year programs offered at Algonquin College, Collège Boréal—en français—Georgian College, Northern College, Seneca College, Sheridan College, St. Clair College, St. Lawrence College and, as well, at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus.

Each college describes their program a little differently. The following is the Northern College’s description of their vet tech program based in Haileybury, in Temiskaming Shores:

“Students learn to perform basic patient examination, collect data on vital signs, administer medications and prepare pharmaceuticals as prescribed by a veterinarian. They will explore anaesthesia, animal nursing, surgical assistance, dental prophylactic procedures, diagnostic laboratory work and tests, such as blood chemistries, culture and sensitivity, and electrocardiograms. This program covers veterinary practice management skills including computer applications, recognizing behavioural signs of small animals and educating and counselling clients in the area of pet nutrition.”

These programs are all accredited by the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians. Graduates of these programs are well trained to perform a number of veterinary services. The intent of this legislation is that vets will now be able to use the skills of vet techs to their fullest potential. That is amazing news.

I have also met with a number of vet techs over the past year or so, as I mentioned. The conference in Hamilton was amazing. There were 1,200 registered vet techs in attendance. The trade show was incredible, and the spirit and the commitment were palpable. You could tell registered vet techs are very proud of their position and what they do in the spirit of animal care.

While that was before Bill 171 was introduced, the association was aware of the consultations. All of the registered vet techs who were able to exercise their voice, I can tell you with certainty, were very excited about future opportunities in this profession based on how we’re moving forward with Bill 171.

Vet tech students are also excited about the future because, again, they have the potential of having their full scope of practice recognized and valued. I was pleased to be joined by two Seneca College students, Elizabeth Crouchman and Joner Kuo, for the introduction of this bill.

I want to talk about other non-veterinary animal service providers as well, because we need to also recognize that there are important animal care services that are currently being performed by qualified and competent non-veterinary practitioners. The proposal acknowledges that there is a role for non-veterinarian animal health practitioners in the delivery of services respecting animal care. We have had an approach which continues access that I think reflects the fulsome picture of animal care, all the while protecting health and well-being.

I have to say, when pet owners know their pets—and/or farmers with their livestock—are stressed and not well, it can create a situation whereby there’s a lot of anxiety. So this new act would enable regulations to be made in consultation with the stakeholders that could formalize exemptions for non-veterinarian practitioners and help ensure that the public and these animal care providers will be qualified and competent to provide safe care. Because again, that’s what we do on farm; we work diligently to make sure our animals are healthy and safe and relaxed, just like pet owners. The regulations that would be set out in the terms and limitations, guidelines and prohibitions in this legislation will set out how these professionals can safely continue to provide care to animals.

I think it’s important to recognize that this also applies to pharmacists. They would be able to compound, dispense and sell medication that an animal owner has a prescription for. This would also enable the ability, through regulation, to clarify that people can request a copy of their prescription if they would like to get it filled by another provider.

Similar to when you visit the eye doctor, you have a choice of whether you purchase glasses through them or you take your prescription to go to another store. That’s the perfect analogy that speaks to what we’re enabling here. It’s about access to care and choice.

Another concern, though, that was raised during consultation was access to ultrasounds for pregnant animals, in particular, small ruminants such as sheep and goats. Albeit we’ve had a herd dispersal in the fall of 2023, we still have six does, and we really could have used a few preg-checks because, honest to goodness, the last three weeks have seen six goats that we kept produce 18 kids, and that’s a lot. That is a lot: two sets of quads, two sets of triplets and two sets of twins. Honest to goodness, I want to give a—actually, I have to do this. I have to give a shout-out to my brother and sister-in-law, who have adopted our goats while my husband recovers. They have been busy. Oh my goodness.

Interjections.