Consultation Document July 2017 | Page 37

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that the sections in the Act that list the provisions in the Corporations Act that apply in respect of the College be repealed and a provision stating that the Corporations Act does not apply in respect to the College be added.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