OTTAWA, ON, September 23, 2024 – Veterinarians Without Borders North America (VWB) is thrilled to announce Canadian North as the official airline sponsor of VWB’s Northern Animal Health Initiative (NAHI). Canadian North is a wholly Inuit-owned airline that services Canada’s northern regions and territories, including many of the remote communities where VWB provides temporary veterinary clinics. The airline plays a critical role in providing transport for people and goods throughout Canada’s North.
“This sponsorship is a great fit for both our NAHI program and the northern communities we serve,” said Dr. Scott Zaari (DVM), VWB’s Veterinary Director. “Canadian North plays a critical role in ensuring that northern communities have access to travel and transport, and with this incredible sponsorship, our veterinary teams can support even more animals and pet guardians across remote areas that, otherwise, would have no access to animal health care,” said Zaari. “This includes many Indigenous communities that we work closely with to increase capacity for access to animal health care,” Zaari added.
VWB’s NAHI program operates through a One Health model to support the health of the people and animals it serves. By strengthening the health of animals in northern communities, we can also strengthen the health of local people – ensuring that both community members and animals remain safe and healthy from the spread of zoonotic diseases like rabies. Our NAHI veterinary teams work on an invite-only basis with each community to identify needs and create a plan with community representatives to build local capacity to address animal care needs year-round. This past year alone, our northern veterinary teams visited 11 communities across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, reaching 1,233 animals.
“Canadian North is thrilled to sponsor VWB and NAHI by further enabling their access to Canada’s North,” said Craig Walker, director customer support and community investment at Canadian North. “At Canadian North, our mission is to ‘to make lives better in the communities we serve’, and our partnership with VWB is an excellent opportunity to support that mission,” Walker added. “As animal lovers, it’s been a privilege to work with the VWB team. This collaboration has allowed us to gain an understanding of their needs and challenges to provide a sponsorship that both supports the current needs of VWB and looks forward to the future, increasing their capacity and community accessibility,” said Walker. “We look forward to our continued partnership with VWB and ongoing sponsorship of the critical support they provide to the Northern communities we serve through their NAHI program,” Walker added.
Media Contact
Laura Eley
Communications & Media Relations Manager
E: laura@vwb.org
C: +1(343) 633-0272
About Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amerique du Nord
Using a One Health approach, Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) works for, and with, communities in need to foster the health of animals, people and the environments that sustain us. VWB works in Africa and Asia to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged rural populations through veterinary and agricultural services, sustainable animal production, training, value chain development and sustainable natural resource management. Additionally, we support remote Northern Canadian communities to improve animal health through temporary spay and neuter clinics, reduce the spread of rabies, and work to create the conditions for long-term, community-led sustainable animal health services.
Learn more at vwb.org
About the Northern Animal Health Initiative (NAHI)
VWB’s NAHI program is focused on increasing access to animal health services in the Canadian North by providing services and resources to strengthen capacity in remote communities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. VWB develops partnerships with remote communities in the Canadian territories upon their invitation. Together, they work to identify needs and build a plan with community representatives and leadership to strengthen local capacity to address animal care needs year-round. This includes offering annual temporary veterinary clinics with a team of volunteers. VWB’s goal is to build a sustainable framework that will create the conditions for lasting, community-driven animal health.
About Canadian North
Canadian North Airlines is a 100% Inuit-owned airline that connects people and delivers essential goods throughout Canada’s North – safely, reliably and always with friendly and caring customer service. Canadian North services 25 communities within the Northwest Territories, Nunavik and Nunavut, along with Ottawa, Montreal and Edmonton, with a versatile fleet of Boeing 737, ATR 42 and ATR 72 Freighter aircraft. Canadian North is also the premier charter services provider for large resource sector clients requiring dependable, efficient and economical fly-in/fly-out air service and it operates flights across North America and beyond for sports teams, cruise lines, tour operators and many others. Canadian North is wholly owned by Makivik Corporation and Inuvialuit Development Corporation.
Learn more at canadiannorth.com
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