By Rachel Fraser
The Jasper and Valemount Vet Clinic are pivoting as best as they can to provide some continuity of care for clients in the Robson Valley – both Valley residents and displaced Jasperites. The main clinic location in the Jasper industrial park burned down in the recent Jasper wildfire, which means there will be no return to business as usual for the foreseeable future, and what the ultimate future of veterinary care in Jasper and Valemount will look like is still uncertain, according to clinic owner and licensed veterinarian Dr. Janet Jones. “I truly believe there will be veterinary care in Jasper that returns, just what the future will be for Valemount is a little unknown as there isn’t going to be the same kind of ability, and support for Valemount.”
Before the fire, the clinic had put out a notice that Valemount was actually going to close at the end of September, due to staff change-over, and the challenges of staffing and the commute, Dr. Jones said, but for now everything is up in the air, and they aren’t able to plan very far ahead.
For the immediate future, Dr. Jones says they can offer most veterinary services out of the Valemount clinic, though as a satellite clinic, it doesn’t have the same facilities, and is now without the support of the main clinic. Supplies are still a bit delayed, though improving, she said. Most of the specialized equipment and diagnostics, such as dental x-rays and the blood machine belonged to the main clinic and have been lost. They won’t be able to do any kind of specialized surgeries, and they only have a small kit for equine care in Valemount – just “the basics, as far as horses are concerned,” she said.
Dr. Jones herself is currently away on scheduled time off for family matters, and the vets that have been offering emergency care in Valemount were here on international work visas, and due to leave August 13th. “I do want people to be prepared, that particularly for emergencies, there will be less service,” she said. There is another vet coming in part-time, three days a week for three weeks, to cover until Dr. Jones returns, who may be able to offer some emergency care – that is, urgent care outside of clinic hours – but the clinic won’t provide emergency care after the end of August, until there is some sort of facility up in Jasper to work out of.
When Dr. Jones comes back and can get into Jasper, she said she will continue to travel to Valemount Tuesdays and Thursdays, as she has for 27 years, but won’t be able to drive out for emergencies and won’t have a facility in Jasper that folks can come into for emergency care. She can give advice over the phone, but emergency vet care will have to be directed to the emergency clinic in Kamloops, or to other vets as available.
Over the next couple of months, service in Valemount will be similar to what it was, just not as comprehensive, but what service in Valemount is going to look like longer term is uncertain, and somewhat dependent on what happens in Jasper.
For vet services in Jasper, Jones warns services will be greatly reduced for an extended period of time. “It’s a total unknown what the timeline will be, and just what the service will be over the next two or three months, as far as Jasper is concerned… I do have insurance, but of course that doesn’t happen right away.”
Dr. Jones says that clients can check the clinic’s website and Facebook profile to keep updated as plans evolve, and that updates are also being posted to the Valemount Bulletin Board by the clinic manager. Clinic staff are monitoring the reception email to respond to specific inquiries and to provide information and medical records to clients as requested.
With files from Abigail Popple
