Rick Neilson
Starting today (Oct. 1), two veterinarians—one practising in Giroux, Man. and one from Thunder Bay—are teaming up to provide Rainy River District with more complete large-animal veterinarian services.
Dr. Stacey Angus, a partner in Giroux Veterinary Services, and Dr. Dan Matyasovszky, owner of Slate River Veterinary Services, will be alternating visits to the district to provide routine herd health and emergency services.
“It will be client driven,” said Angus. “I will be aiming for a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday visit, but it will depend on what people need—whatever fits—but I will be trying to come every other week.”
Even though she is three hours away from the district, Dr. Angus stressed she will be available for emergencies. She pointed out it would not take much longer than taking an animal across the river to International Falls, Mn. or having a vet come down from Dryden.
Between the two of them, she hopes they will be in the area three out of every four weeks.
In the August issue of Ontario Beef Magazine, Doug Raven, executive director of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, concluded there is no shortage of veterinarians in Ontario. But as the article pointed out, there is one in certain areas of the province.
“Gone are the days when a veterinarian is willing to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Raven. “Any area that cannot provide enough income to sustain at least two veterinarians will therefore likely have trouble attracting one veterinarian.”
The article pointed out the Designated Area Veterinarian Assistance (DAVA) program offers subsidies for northern veterinarians who agree to provide service to livestock producers. One of the provisions, however, is that the vet must provide emergency service.
Farmers in Rainy River District have been served most recently by monthly visits from Saskatchewan veterinarian Dr. Blaire Simonson, who was working with the Nor-West Animal Clinic in Fort Frances. But the clinic’s contract with the government program expired yesterday (Sept 30) and owner Dr. Dan Pierroz did not renew it.
Dr. Pierroz did say Dr. Simonson will continue to visit here two or three days per month as he has been doing.
“We are just not working under government contract,” he explained. “The contract is a commitment to provide 365, 24-7 [coverage] and we are just not in a position to be able to offer that.
“In the meantime, we are going to continue to advertise for someone to do large-animal veterinary medicine. Agriculture in the region deserves full-time service,” Dr. Pierroz stressed.
“The once-a-month routine that I am getting with Dr. Blaire is adequate; not ideal, but adequate,” said local dairy farmer Bernie
Zimmerman. “A little more often would be better to do post-calving and preg checks.”
Fellow dairyman Nico Veldhuisen, president of the district’s Veterinarian Services Unit Committee (the vet committee), noted that Dr. Pierroz has worked very well with the committee over the years.
“We honour his decision,” said Veldhuisen. “And we really appreciate what he has done by bringing Dr. Simonson in because there wasn’t anything left at the end of the day for Dan. He was doing it strictly for the producers.
“He had to make a management decision.”
Dr. Matyasovszky, meanwhile, graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in 1997. After spending two years practising in southern Ontario and one year in Manitoba, he established Slate River Veterinary Services in 2001.
Located about 20 minutes from Thunder Bay, it is a mixed practice doing both large- and small-animal medicine.
Dr. Angus, a 2007 graduate from the OVC, originally is from Blackhawk and spent the past year practising in the Steinbach area. She established Giroux Veterinary Services this past July with associate Dr. Nicole Gobin, whom she met through 4-H leadership.
Her ultimate goal is to one day open a large-animal clinic in Rainy River District and practise full-time here.
Dr. Matyasovszky said people should watch for ads in the newspaper showing the schedule of when he and Dr. Angus will be visiting the district.
He can be reached at 1-807-475-3837 and Angus at 1-204-422-8749.
