Stable vet college funding sign of region’s support

A new 10-year funding agreement for the Atlantic Veterinary College will mean a more secure financial future, says Christian Lacroix, the University of Prince Edward Island's vice-president, academic.

On Monday P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz and the leaders of the other Atlantic provinces signed the deal in St. John's. Until now, the funding agreements for AVC, which is based at UPEI in Charlottetown, have been much shorter, with the provinces re-negotiating the deal every one to three years.

Lacroix helped develop the long-term agreement.

"It provides us with a very stable window of funding, long-term funding. And also it's a testimony that our Atlantic provinces are supporting the vet college," said Lacroix.

The agreement also includes a plan for more funding from the provinces if the AVC sells more veterinary services or meets specific research goals.

Lacroix said that could provide a significant advantage for the school.