Retired Pathobiology professer Ian Barker (back row, centre) attended the museum celebration along with his brothers Eric (back left) and Graham (back right). In the front row are Ed Empringham OVC ‘69, Susy Carman, Sharon Arbuckle OVC ‘69, and OVC dean Elizabeth Stone.
OVC alumni, faculty and staff celebrated another chapter in the history of veterinary medicine in Canada with the official re-opening of the C.A.V. Barker Museum last week.
Extensive renovations have transformed the museum into a modern, multi-purpose meeting space and a showcase for some of the museum’s 10,000+ artifacts of OVC and Canadian veterinary history. The renovations were supported by funds raised by OVC ’69 as a 40th anniversary class project.
In addition to the renovations, a new plaque on the door commemorates the establishment of the museum in 1990 in recognition of Dr. Barker’s 40-year career at OVC and his dedication to preserving the history of the College and the veterinary profession.
Dr. Elizabeth Stone, OVC dean, thanked Drs. Ed Empringham and Sharon Arbuckle and members of OVC ’69 for their contributions to the project. She also noted that Lisa Cox, a research associate who has been cataloguing the collection while completing her PhD in history, will be continuing her studies at OVC as a post-doc.
The long-term goal is to fully digitize the collection in order to create a virtual museum.
Cox will carry on her work “so we can continue on this grand adventure of the history of veterinary medicine in Canada and at OVC,” Stone said.