The Untold History of Early Canadian Veterinary Medicine

Before recorded history, life’s events were preserved through storytelling. Stories spoke of where we came from and who we were. Stories became essential to human identity and provided an account about early vocations that ultimately grew into professions. Veterinary medicine became one of those.

Stories about the evolution of veterinary medicine during the settlement of Western Canada remain untold. There are the accounts of veterinary pioneers that paralleled the beginning of ranching across the Rockies’ eastern slopes, chronicles about early veterinary medicine and the NWMP’s overland arrival in response to the whiskey trade and lawlessness experienced by settlers. Countless stories linger about the care of cattle and horses during commencement of farming as plow sheer met sod, and times when horses were key to Canada’s war effort. The period between 1900 and 1915 became an intriguing era for veterinarians and the cowboys, soldiers, land barons and settlers they served.

The horse stood at the centre of western development through the late 1800s and early 1900s. They powered machinery. Horses served as the primary source of transportation beyond the railway. Ranching started on the back of a horse. Care of horses moved from farrier barns to the organized study of lameness and disease. Scientific advances of the times opened doors for formal veterinary medicine curriculums at universities.

Understanding the basic principles of infectious disease piloted practices like disinfection, quarantine and food inspection, each associated with a cast of characters and the stories they spawned.

There is an opportunity for the veterinary profession in Western Canada to share its history by participating with Canada's largest living history museum at Heritage Park in Calgary.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park Historical Village occupies 127 acres (51 ha) of parkland on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir, along the city's southwestern edge. It is one of the city's most visited tourist attractions. Exhibits span western Canadian history from the 1860s to the 1950s.

Western Canada's iconic past is not only preserved, but also presented alive and in great working condition. Many of the buildings are historical and were transported to the park to be placed on display. Others are re-creations of actual buildings. Most of the structures are furnished and decorated with genuine artifacts. Staff dress in period costumes. Antique automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles service the site. 

The park is divided into four distinct areas reflecting different time periods in western Canadian history: the Hudson's Bay Company Fur Trading Fort and Indigenous encampment c. 1864; the Pre-Railway Settlement Village, c. 1880; the Railway Prairie Town, c. 1910; and the newly opened (2009) Heritage Town Square, depicting the 1920s to 1950s. The park first opened on July 1, 1964.

The Vintage Veterinary Exhibit

A working group of veterinarians from a broad cross section of the profession (ABVMA, practice, academia, industry, government) along with colleagues from professions allied with veterinary medicine sought and gained approval from Heritage Park’s Board of Directors to establish a Vintage Veterinary Exhibit within the Historical Village. The committee has worked closely with 2 senior management at Heritage Park to establish concepts around exhibit sites, themes, display details and training of park staff. Included in these discussions is the ongoing contribution of veterinarians in telling the stories about the role veterinarians played and how they served settlers, ranchers and the public during the early 1900s. Heritage Park’s Board of Directors granted approval for the display and has outlined administrative and financial details.

In keeping with the park’s overall goal, the exhibit will be a “living museum” complete with trained staff, period costumes and archival material. Plans include a “horse and buggy” to transport a “veterinarian” in appropriate dress to various sites in the village talking about what they did and how they called on farms and ranches. Heritage Park has committed exhibit space in the livery barn to house a working office of a turn-of-the-century veterinarian and the trappings they used.

Sharing a tale with our audience is immensely rewarding. There is no way to get better at telling stories to people than by telling stories to people. Heritage Park connects visitors to the settlement of Western Canada from the 1860s to the 1950s by preserving, recreating and celebrating Western Canada's heritage. Each year Heritage Park welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests past its front gates. Over 100 exhibits provide authentic insights into our history as visitors touch, feel and hear legends about days gone by, and in doing so, better understand today.

Fundraising for development of the Vintage Veterinary Exhibit and a necessary endowment for future maintenance are missing pieces critical to the project’s success. The committee will actively seek support from members of the veterinary community and industry partners who benefitted as veterinary medicine gained a foothold and contributed to western Canadian development. Please view the website at: vintageveterinaryexhibit.ca for more details.

 

Article written by Dr. Ron Clarke

Image Source - History Alberta