By Canadian Press

Quebec woman raises alarm after region’s only vet forced to quit over language laws

May 11, 2022 | 8:53 AM

MONTREAL — Horse owners in a part of western Quebec say they’re losing their only veterinarian because her French isn’t good enough to pass the language test required to get a licence.

More than 6,400 people have signed a petition started by local farmer Chantal Chrétien asking the province to grant an exemption due to an extreme shortage of veterinarians in the Pontiac, Que., region.

U.K.-born veterinarian Melissa Jowett says she had been working under a temporary licence, which she says can no longer be renewed.

Jowett says she has been discussing with Quebec’s veterinary order to see if an exemption is possible, but she says there’s no indication it will be granted.

She says the province’s language rules and the pressure of being the region’s only horse veterinarian have pushed her to the brink of burnout.

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Chrétien says she understands the need to protect French but says authorities need to show flexibility when the welfare of animals is at risk.

Quebec’s language bureau, l’Office québécois de la langue française, says that while licensing is up to professional orders, there is no provision that allows a candidate to be exempted from passing the French-language exam.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2022.

The Canadian Press