A big funding announcement for an East Ladner guide and service dog facility will help improve accessibility and the lives of many with disabilities.
On Friday, Nov. 8, Delta MP Carla Qualtrough, the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, on behalf of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, was on hand at the BC & Alberta Guide Dogs centre on Ladner Trunk Road to announce $2.7 million in funding to support an expansion for a state-of-the-art breeding and training centre that will produce more purpose-bred dogs.
The first of its kind in Western Canada, the new Breeding & Training Centre of Excellence will provide expertly trained Guide Dogs, Autism Service Dogs and OSI-PTSD Service Dogs across B.C. and Alberta.
Joined by other political officials, as well as members of the Guide Dogs, Qualtrough said the investment under the Enabling Accessibility Fund aims to eliminate or reduce existing wait lists and increase access to programs and services for persons with disabilities.
“As minister responsible for disability for so many years, and having got to work on the big things for accessibility and disability inclusion in this country, I’m always reminded of how many people are working on the ground to make lives better for people with disabilities, the people who work every single day to remove barriers, to improve access, to dispel myths, to change attitudes, to change minds, to challenge the assumptions every day about what someone with a disability can and cannot do, and that’s what we have going on here in Ladner….that’s the work that’s been done right here and will be done here,” said Qualtrough.
“When you have a guide dog, and I can tell you as someone who is visually impaired and I have so many friends with dogs, it’s a lifeline. It’s a way to explore the world confidently. It’s a way get out there. It means you have mobility. You can get a job. You can interact with the world. You can volunteer. You can contribute to the community,” she added.
The project, entitled BC & Alberta Guide Dogs Breeding & Training Centre, will improve the organization’s training departments, easing the experience of current and future purpose-bred dog owners with disabilities through the implementation of an on-site veterinary examination clinic, and an appropriate, equipped and controlled training environment for Canadians and their dogs.
William Thornton, who helped found the organization with his wife Linda, and is the current CEO of BC & Alberta Guide Dogs, said they plan to have 100 purpose-bred puppies bred annually for guide and service dogs.
“This investment is not just a financial contribution, it’s a powerful endorsement of our mission and the work that we do to serve and uplift our community. With this grant, we are not only building a new physical space, we’re building a future that’s more inclusive, accessible and full of potential for all that we serve,” he said.
A few of the pups now training and current service dogs and clients were also on hand for Friday’s event including Rosamund van Leeuwen, who has had her current dog for the last four years and remarked she had to go to the U.S years ago for her first guide dog. Van Leeuwen remarked, “a white cane is not a very happy companion to travel with.”
The expansion is to officially open in early 2026.
