Existing Provisions
The College of Veterinarians of Ontario currently holds an annual general
meeting at which members consider and accept a report of Council,
accept the auditor’s financial statements, appoint an auditor, and hold a
member’s forum. Within the Veterinarians Act, annual general meetings
are linked to provisions from the Corporations Act.
What Change is Proposed?
It is proposed that the sections in the Act that list the provisions in the
Corporations Act that apply in respect of the College be repealed and a
provision stating that the Corporations Act does not apply in respect to the
College be added. This would necessitate several amendments to the Act
to address those provisions which are still relevant through the College’s
bylaws, ensuring that appropriate accountability is still in place.
The Veterinarians Act should be amended to read “The College of
Veterinarians of Ontario is a body corporate with all the powers of a
natural person.” (A proposal to allow the Minister of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs the ability to review and/or investigate the affairs or
management of the College and audit the books has also been included,
see page 15). In order to permit the passing of bylaws that would be
necessary if the Corporations Act no longer applies, a number of bylaw-
making powers have been added (see Appendix C).
Modernizing
the Practice
of Veterinary
Medicine
ADMINISTRATIVE
AMENDMENTS
•Annual General
Meetings•
Why is the College Considering Changes to this Concept?
It is not common for regulators to hold annual general meetings of
members, although associations do. It is likely that this provision is a
remnant from the period during which the College was the Ontario
Veterinary Association, and was both a regulator and an association.
Holding annual general meetings allows for confusion about the College’s
role and gives members the impression that they have an authority in
relation to College decision-making at some level. However, to provide
public assurance of accountability of Council, several new provisions are
placed in bylaw (see Appendix C).
Achieving a Modern Approach to the Regulation of Veterinary Medicine in Ontario 37