History

In 1977 Conrad VanDijk met Dr. Leroy Dorminy the founder of CVM USA at a AVMA meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.  Taking inspiration from Dr. Dorminy, Dr. Vandijk started promoting CVM USA to fellow Canadian veterinarians, students and technicians, getting them involved in going on short term mission trips around the world.Dr. VanDijk served on the CVM USA advisory board from 1990 – 1997, and during this time worked with Drs. Don Barnum and Gary Partlow from OVC to develop the first charter in 1995.  From here the first board was elected and Dr. Devin Hunt served as coordinator from 1997 – 2002.

It was again that Dr. VanDijk started to create greater vision for CVM Canada and was the first Executive Director serving from 2002 until 2012.  In this time the chicken project in Sierra Leone became a prominent focus for how CVM Canada served. This project led to transformational change in the areas that it served. 

In 2013 Dr. Ed Neufeld became the Executive Director.  His focus was to work with VET Net Mongolia NGO. Mongolia was selected in 2000 as a focus mission for Christian Veterinary Mission Canada. Since retiring in 2006, he has been active in preparing foreign trained veterinarians to write the Canadian veterinary licensing examinations (NAVLE). In 2015, CVM Canada decided to come under the umbrella of CRISTA Canada Ministries, and work in collaboration with CVM USA. Dr. Kit Flowers, Executive Director of CVM USA served as interim director to support the CVM Canada board until Dr. Debbie Hoffele joined the staff as Western Region rep in 2018 and Eastern Region rep and Executive Director in 2019. 

As CVM USA left Crista Ministries to become a separate entity in 2021, CVM Canada also did as well operating as a not-for-profit organization in partnership with Great Commission Foundation and CVM USA.