New chief veterinarian of B.C. appointed

Jul 29, 2022

Theresa Burns has been appointed British Columbia’s new chief veterinarian.

Burns holds a doctor of veterinary medicine with distinction from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. She also has a master of science in animal reproduction as well as a doctorate in epidemiology (the introduction, spread and control of diseases).

Over her career, Burns has worked as a front-line veterinary practitioner providing care for pets and farm animals, as well as a consultant specializing in veterinary epidemiology, surveillance and One Health, which is an approach that combines factors contributing to animal, human and environmental health.

Burns’ consultant experience has helped her develop a strong knowledge of regulated animal and zoonotic diseases, as well as diagnostic animal health laboratory processes and services. Her role as a veterinarian has provided her with a hands-on and foundational understanding of the challenges and opportunities practitioners face in providing animal care.

The chief veterinarian supports the sustainability of animal agriculture in B.C. through the development and implementation of sound livestock health and regulatory management policies. Burns will begin her role on Sept. 6, 2022, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods’ Plant and Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford.

Source : news.gov.bc.ca

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.