NDP invests $671K in Minnedosa vet clinic

MINNEDOSA — The Manitoba government is kicking in $671,664 to expand the Minnedosa and District Veterinary Clinic.

The funding was announced Monday morning at the Minnedosa Community Conference Centre by Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard, accompanied by Agriculture Minister and Dauphin MLA Ron Kostyshyn.

The money is provided through the Manitoba Growth, Renewal and Opportunities for Municipalities (Manitoba GRO) program and reflects the province’s focus on infrastructure with clear regional impact, Simard, the MLA for Brandon East, said.

“This is a regional priority that was brought forward by some municipalities,” he said. “The project will help ensure producers have reliable veterinary care, particularly heading into calving season.”

The project was led by the Rural Municipality of Minto-Odanah, in partnership with surrounding municipalities, he said.

The expansion is expected to nearly double the size of the existing clinic, which currently employs three veterinarians and serves producers and residents across multiple municipalities, including Harrison Park, Minto-Odanah, Minnedosa, Oakview and Yellowhead.

Rural veterinary care is under increasing strain due to workforce shortages, rising demand and aging facilities, Minnedosa and District Veterinary Services Board chair Barry Cook told the Sun after the announcement.

“This investment directly addresses those challenges by allowing us to expand our clinic and strengthen its long-term viability,” he said. “It ensures reliable veterinary care that supports animal health, public health and the local economy.”

Cook said the expansion is estimated to cost between $1.4 million and $1.5 million, meaning the provincial funding will cover almost half the total cost.

“Without the grant, municipalities would have faced significantly higher levies to move the project forward,” he said.

The larger facility will ease pressure on existing staff and support plans to recruit additional veterinarians, he said, noting that many corporate-run clinics in larger centres no longer provide after-hours large-animal service.

Kostyshyn said the province recognizes a persistent shortage of veterinarians, particularly those specializing in large animals, across Manitoba and Canada.

“Statistically, there’s a shortage of large-animal vets, and that’s the No. 1 challenge we’re dealing with,” he said.

The province, he added, is working with educational institutions and local leaders on longer-term solutions, including incentives to attract veterinary students to rural clinics.

The Manitoba GRO program funds a wide range of capital projects, from roads and bridges to arenas and clinics. Simard said this year marked the first time the program formally allowed regional applications, an approach the province intends to continue.

“Smaller communities often need a boost from their provincial partners,” Simard said. “This is about building Manitoba together, one project at a time.”

Local municipal leaders welcomed the announcement.

It is a tangible example of collaboration paying off, Rural Municipality of Harrison Park Reeve Ian Drul told the people attending the event.

“This proves that sitting down, bringing a plan and talking with the province works,” he said. “This clinic is essential for producers and families across the region.”

Drul said the investment will have a lasting ripple effect.

“A new, expanded clinic is like building a new hospital,” he said. “It helps attract vets and vet techs, improves access and benefits the entire region, not just Minnedosa.”

Regarding the project’s timeline, Simard said it is essentially ready to proceed, noting that “shovel-readiness” is a key criterion under the Manitoba GRO program. He said projects are sometimes stalled while partners wait for one another to commit funding, but in this case, the province stepped in to get things moving.

“They told us they needed our help, and we blinked,” Simard said. “That provincial commitment is what allows projects like this to move ahead.”

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