College Connection | Fall 2026
Legacy Council approves operating budget for 2027
College Connection | Fall 2026
Legacy Council approves operating budget for 2027
The Legacy Council met on September 23, 2026. Highlights and replays from policy discussions are available at cvo. org / Council. Legacy Council meets next in December. The public is welcome to watch Council via the livestream; please contact the College to attend in-person. The Legacy Council considered the following items in September:
Budget 2027
The Legacy Council approved the proposed budget for 2027 for the College and the Transition Council. In the third year of transition to the new legislation, the work of the Transition Council is funded by reserves, and wind-down of the Legacy Council has been funded by revenue from fees.
There is no increase to licensure fees in the 2027 budget and several spending reductions have been included. The Legacy Council decided to transfer additional funds from the sale of the College’ s former office building to ensure a balanced budget for 2027.
Update on Complaints Committee Work
The Legacy Council received an update on progress in the Investigations and Resolutions team’ s work. The team has implemented new processes that doubled the number of reviewed complaints, making significant progress in clearing the backlog of cases. As well, they are exploring options to apply artificial intelligence to increase efficiencies with case matters.
Cybersecurity Audit
Cybersecurity is an essential component of the College work. Risks related to cyberattacks, data breaches, and social engineering continue to increase. The College carries cybersecurity insurance and has a substantial education program for staff to mitigate the risks. The College recently completed a cybersecurity audit. As a result of the audit, the College is investing in increased technology infrastructure and has developed a technology plan to address the recommendations identified in the audit.
Consultation Feedback related to antimicrobial stewardship
The Legacy Council reviewed comments from facility directors and partner organizations concerning proposed changes to the accreditation standards to emphasize the importance of antimicrobial stewardship( AMS). The consultation also reviewed revisions intended to clarify requirements within the standards.
On AMS, the consultation feedback indicated veterinarians generally support AMS but were concerned with additional administrative burden that didn’ t improve clinical outcomes. The Legacy Council decided to move ahead with requiring a written policy on AMS, enabling veterinary teams to consider AMS principles that apply to their scope of practice, including species treated.
Incorporating AMS into accreditation standards aligns with existing professional guidance and regulatory expectations, reinforces the role of accreditation in promoting safe, quality veterinary care, and reflects broad provincial, national and international consensus on the importance of AMS.
On the revisions to enhance clarity of the current standards, the Legacy Council approved revisions to the accreditation standards to provide clarity on drug delivery. The clarification supports regulatory compliance, traceability, and protection against diversion or tampering with guidance on delivery methods that include tracking and signature confirmation and systems to ensure drug integrity during shipping.
Advisory Group on AMS
In connection to its work on One Health, the Legacy Council approved the terms of reference to establish an advisory group on AMS. The group’ s task is to analyze education and information on current practices in antimicrobial prescribing for the veterinary profession and develop a public education campaign that supports evidence-based antimicrobial prescribing in animal health care.
The advisory group will include veterinarians, veterinary technicians, an academic representative, a Legacy Council member, and representatives from partner organizations. The group will complete its work by spring 2027.
cvo. org / Council
Public confidence in veterinary regulation cvo. org 2