The Ontario government is modernizing its Veterinary Assistance Program (VAP) to improve access to veterinary care for livestock producers in Northern and rural communities.
The changes, which take effect April 1, 2026, expand eligibility to allow all veterinary practices providing services in eligible areas to apply directly to the Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth. The program will now also recognize registered veterinary technicians as eligible participants and expand coverage to include honeybees and fish.
Compensation updates include a nine per cent increase to call rates for isolated veterinarians, an additional 30 cents per kilometre for non-isolated veterinarians, and making telemedicine an eligible expense.
The province says the updates are designed to strengthen Ontario’s agri-food sector, which supports more than 867,000 jobs and contributes over $51 billion annually to the province’s GDP.
Huron-Bruce MPP and Rural Affairs Minister Lisa M. Thompson says “Given the significant economic impact livestock farmers have in our rural communities throughout the province, it is important to ensure they have access to the local services they need to succeed. Modernizing VAP is a great step forward to ensure veterinarians’ businesses can thrive, so farmers can count on having access to valuable veterinary services, close to home.”
Veterinary practices will be able to apply for the 2026–27 funding round beginning in late March 2026.
The province says it will continue consulting with farmers, producers and veterinarians to explore further improvements to the program.