Calgary doubles veterinary faculty enrolment with new facility

The University of Calgary is opening a facility with capacity to train twice as many veterinary students.

As of September 2025, 100 students are entering their first year at the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at UCalgary.

“We’re doubling our student numbers from 50 to 100. This (facility) provides them with the space they need to learn,” said Dr. Renate Weller, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

The expansion, called the Veterinary Learning Commons (VLC), was built from $68.5 million in provincial funding.

It’s located at the UCalgary Spyhill Campus.

The goal for the province is to address the shortage of livestock and rural veterinarians.

“Alberta has a crisis-point shortage of veterinary professionals, particularly in rural communities but also urban centres. We are addressing this shortage directly with this class and building expansion as well as updating curriculum and mental-health approaches, all with the intention to potentially target and reduce premature attrition,” said Weller.

Weller says the industry is known for being a high-stress environment with long hours and an aging workforce.

The latest numbers suggest there are around 900 job openings for vet professionals, according to Weller.

The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) estimates a ratio of around 3,700 pets per one vet team.

“We are an agricultural powerhouse here in Alberta. We have a massive livestock industry and that livestock industry relies on having veterinarians in rural Alberta and access to services provided here, including research in the diagnostic services unit that we managed to get open last year,” said RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.

Calgary’s veterinary program is one of five across Canada.