History
2010 Conference Summary
The 2010 CBLHC was held in Calgary, AB and focused on a number of animal diseases as well as emergency response and preparedness. One of the outcomes was to explore the development of a North American template for crisis or incident management and encourage commodity organizations to include emergency preparedness and response management in their organizational structure. The group also identified the need to invite and engage the industry supply chain (processing) to participate in discussions on communication and recovery.
2009 Conference Summary
The 2nd Cross Border Livestock Health Conference was organized in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER), and was held in conjunction with the PNWER 19th Annual Summit in Boise July 13-14, 2009. The objectives of the CBLHC were to provide the opportunities for state and provincial veterinarians, government, animal health experts, and industry:
Over 50 people including state and provincial veterinarians, federal government animal health representatives, other animal health experts, pertinent industry representatives, legislators and elected officials from both Canada and the United States attended the conference. There was representation from the following provinces and states: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Washington State, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana. The conference included a day and a half of presentations and discussions on priority beef and dairy animal health issues, specifically:
Feedback and comments from conference attendees were extremely positive. Attendees found the conference to be extremely valuable in terms of the overall interaction and communication between American and Canadian elected officials, government and industry. The ability to network and build strategic relationships was of priority to attendees.
Conference History
Prior to 2003, the Washington State Department of Agriculture coordinated the Northwest Livestock Health Conference (NWLHC). That conference brought together animal health experts from Alberta, BC, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho to exchange information with their animal health counterparts. Staff changes at the Washington State Department of Agriculture and BSE put a halt to the NWLHC.
At the 2005 Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) meeting, the Agriculture Working Group brought forward an action item that would resurrect the Northwest Livestock Health Conference. An assessment conducted with key stakeholders to determine their level of interest was overwhelmingly positive.
Given the desire for a broader focus, the NWLHC was renamed the Cross-Border Livestock Health Conference (CBLHC) and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and the Washington State Department of Agriculture worked collaboratively to bring the first new "replacement" conference to fruition in Spokane, Washington in January 2007.
The first CBLHC conference in 2007 included a day and a half of presentations and discussions on priority animal health issues as well as a half-day industry/animal health expert breakout session. The industry session provided industry with an opportunity to discuss key animal health issues from their perspective. Agenda topics from both sessions included: Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's), Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Blue Tongue, Anaplasmosis, Emergency Management Tools and H5N1 Emergency Preparedness, Avian Influenza, Anthrax, Animal ID, Johne's Disease and Rule 2 - Shipments of Over Thirty Month (OTM) Breeding Stock into the US.
Feedback and comments from the 2007 conference were very positive. The general sentiment was that the conference was extremely valuable in terms of the overall interaction and communication between American and Canadian industry and government officials as well as for the networking and relationship building opportunities. One quote in particular is a good summation of many others: "Building stronger relationships with common neighbours in order to improve our markets simultaneously is a good thing."
The 2010 CBLHC was held in Calgary, AB and focused on a number of animal diseases as well as emergency response and preparedness. One of the outcomes was to explore the development of a North American template for crisis or incident management and encourage commodity organizations to include emergency preparedness and response management in their organizational structure. The group also identified the need to invite and engage the industry supply chain (processing) to participate in discussions on communication and recovery.
2009 Conference Summary
The 2nd Cross Border Livestock Health Conference was organized in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER), and was held in conjunction with the PNWER 19th Annual Summit in Boise July 13-14, 2009. The objectives of the CBLHC were to provide the opportunities for state and provincial veterinarians, government, animal health experts, and industry:
- To enhance relationships and build networks between state and provincial jurisdictions;
- To exchange information on animal health issues and concerns;
- To develop a common understanding of disease policies;
- To exchange information on emergency response to emerging and foreign animal disease; and,
- To advance Canadian and American animal health interests.
Over 50 people including state and provincial veterinarians, federal government animal health representatives, other animal health experts, pertinent industry representatives, legislators and elected officials from both Canada and the United States attended the conference. There was representation from the following provinces and states: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Washington State, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana. The conference included a day and a half of presentations and discussions on priority beef and dairy animal health issues, specifically:
- Traceability;
- Animal diseases (Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Blue Tongue and Anaplasmosis); and
- Animal welfare.
Feedback and comments from conference attendees were extremely positive. Attendees found the conference to be extremely valuable in terms of the overall interaction and communication between American and Canadian elected officials, government and industry. The ability to network and build strategic relationships was of priority to attendees.
Conference History
Prior to 2003, the Washington State Department of Agriculture coordinated the Northwest Livestock Health Conference (NWLHC). That conference brought together animal health experts from Alberta, BC, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho to exchange information with their animal health counterparts. Staff changes at the Washington State Department of Agriculture and BSE put a halt to the NWLHC.
At the 2005 Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) meeting, the Agriculture Working Group brought forward an action item that would resurrect the Northwest Livestock Health Conference. An assessment conducted with key stakeholders to determine their level of interest was overwhelmingly positive.
Given the desire for a broader focus, the NWLHC was renamed the Cross-Border Livestock Health Conference (CBLHC) and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and the Washington State Department of Agriculture worked collaboratively to bring the first new "replacement" conference to fruition in Spokane, Washington in January 2007.
The first CBLHC conference in 2007 included a day and a half of presentations and discussions on priority animal health issues as well as a half-day industry/animal health expert breakout session. The industry session provided industry with an opportunity to discuss key animal health issues from their perspective. Agenda topics from both sessions included: Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's), Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Blue Tongue, Anaplasmosis, Emergency Management Tools and H5N1 Emergency Preparedness, Avian Influenza, Anthrax, Animal ID, Johne's Disease and Rule 2 - Shipments of Over Thirty Month (OTM) Breeding Stock into the US.
Feedback and comments from the 2007 conference were very positive. The general sentiment was that the conference was extremely valuable in terms of the overall interaction and communication between American and Canadian industry and government officials as well as for the networking and relationship building opportunities. One quote in particular is a good summation of many others: "Building stronger relationships with common neighbours in order to improve our markets simultaneously is a good thing."
