Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers to rejoice. This year, however, it was also a day for pet lovers to do the same. That’s because this past Saturday (Feb. 14) marked the official grand opening of the newly renovated RM of Meadow Lake Veterinary Clinic. Located in Meadow Lake’s industrial area, the clinic served for many years as the base of operations for veterinarians Dick and Wendy Nitschelm. Upon their retirement in 2024, the RM, which owns the building, chose to renovate and expand the structure. It now serves as the new home of LaBrash Veterinary Services.

“When we talked to Edward (Dr. Ed LaBrash), he wanted to rent our vet clinic, but he said the only problem was it was too small,” explained RM of Meadow Lake reeve Dale Sheppard. “So, RM council decided to make it nice and big, and then Ed could bring in another three or four veterinarians. That was the plan behind it all. We had X amount of dollars we were going to spend on the expansion at first. It went a little higher, but we believe it was a good thing for the taxpayers in the RM and for those in Meadow Lake itself.” Sheppard would not, however, divulge the exact amount the RM spent to renovate and expand the building. “Originally, a lot of the farmers and other taxpayers put money into helping to develop the building,” Sheppard continued. “That’s why the RM would never sell it off. It was designed to be a veterinary clinic from the very beginning. Now, we’ve added 50 feet onto the back of the building and 40 feet onto the front.” Sheppard went on to say the extension on the backside will help accommodate large animals, while the extension on the front will provide space for retail sales, additional office space and more. “We have about five offices in there for different vets,” he said.

Currently, the veterinarians working out of the improved facility include LaBrash as well as Dr. Janae Darichuk of Pierceland. “Our plan is to eventually have four to five veterinarians,” Sheppard said. “Edward couldn’t bring in more people where he was before (just east of Meadow Lake), so that’s another reason why he asked if we could make our building a little bigger. Veterinarians like to have something state-of-the-art and I think that’s what we gave them. When you really think about it, we need at least four to five vets to serve the needs of our community and the surrounding area. We have enough work to keep that many vets working.”

As for the grand opening itself, the day-long event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the facility as well as a barbecue, which saw the proceeds go toward District 36 4H. “It was a great day to share in such an exciting time,” reads a post on the District 36 4H Facebook page. Sheppard said there also a great turnout for the grand opening. “The RM supplied all the burgers, buns and whatnot, and whatever money was raised went to the District 36 4H Club,” he said. “We also had 36 roses, and, because it was Valentine’s Day, we gave them out to the ladies who came into the vet clinic that day. It was a really good grand opening. There were lots of people there. They had a chance to see the building and to visit a little bit. I’m hoping everyone is happy with the new vet clinic.”