The Chinook Project

August 28, 2026 Emily Shen, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Emily castrating a patient on floor, problem solving. Practicing rural medicine has always been a curiosity of mine – the Chinook Project was an incredible opportunity to serve communities where veterinary services are not easily accessible. The clinic ran for long hours with

August 28, 2026 Sam Berube, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Sam compiled a list of recipes from the trip, com plete with photos which can be found in this pdf file. Introduction My name is Sam, and I was one of the team members on the 2026 Chinook project. As a part of the final year of our veterinary school curriculum, the Chinook Pro

August 28, 2026 Ryan Subject, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. I gained a lot from my experience in Labrador with the Chinook Project. From surgical skills to client communication and many more, I gained a lot that will stick with me as I progress into my career as a veterinarian. As I sit here flipping through different photos from the

August 21, 2026 Abby Newcombe, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Chinook Team 2026 This photo was taken as we were headed out of Port Hope Simpson, Labrador, after stopping for some last-minute souvenirs. Although our time here was hectic and full of rain, we were able to end the week with the sun shining and some pretty amazing memories

August 21, 2026 Abigail Penney-Wiseman, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Chinook students 2026 - Abby N, Abby P, Ryan, Emily and Sam This photo was taken on the beach in beautiful Port Hope Simpson, Labrador, after we had finished our last day of clinic for Chinook 2026. After participating in Indigenous Day festivities, we stayed on th

August 21, 2026 Sam Berube, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Sam with a patient in PHS The journey to veterinary medicine is different for everyone. Some of my classmates describe a straight path, a story that starts with them holding a toy stethoscope to their stuffed animals, and being realized when their acceptance letter arrived du

August 21, 2026 Abigail Penney-Wiseman, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Abby in surgery with Dr. Jackson, left Before the Chinook Project, I had some anxious feelings surrounding surgery, specifically spay surgery , or ovariohysterectomy. My surgical experience was limited, and I was acutely aware of how careful and precise every step

August 21, 2026 Sam Berube, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Emily and Sam managing resources in small spaces Veterinary work is often a game of managing resources. Beyond the typical thought of the medications stocked in the clinic, resources also encompass the emotional reserves of the veterinary team and the owners, the stability of

August 21, 2026 Emily Shen , AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. I headed into this experience with the desire to fully embrace the concept of “spectrum of care”. In an academic and referral centre such as the Atlantic Veterinary College we are exposed to several advanced diagnostic tools, specialists, and educational resources for refere

August 21, 2026 Abigail Penney-Wiseman, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Just like that, the adventure I had looked forward to for so long has come and gone, but the memories I made and the people I met during my time in Port Hope Simpson will stay with me for years to come. From the moment our team arrived, we were welcomed with warm s

August 21, 2026 Abby Newcombe, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Heading out to Labrador, I had a heightened sense of both anxiety and excitement. I was excited for a new adventure with my peers but anxious about the challenges we might encounter in a much more secluded location than anything I had ever experienced. We had been given a h

August 28, 2026 Ryan Subject, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. I am so grateful to have been a part of the 2026 Chinook Project. Out of all my experience in veterinary medicine, I have never learned so much or developed so many new skills in such a short period of time as I did during the Chinook Project. The Chinook Project was truly a

August 21, 2026 Ryan Subject, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. I would like to start this post by thanking the incredible people of Port Hope Simpson, Labrador, for their hospitality. Not only did they welcome us with open arms, but they made us feel as if we were a part of the community. Every single person accepted us and made us feel

August 21, 2026 Emily Shen, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Lucky – this overwhelming feeling washed over me as I sat on the rocks by the water; their smooth stone surfaces were warmed by the sun’s kiss, the water was glass reflecting the beauty of the mountains, and faint laughter tumbled through the air. I sat silently, shifting betw

August 21, 2026 Abigail Newcombe, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. During our Chinook trip to Port Hope Simpson, I learned so much and came away with a level of confidence as a soon to be veterinarian that I never expected. Before this experience I had worked as an RVT for the past six years, so I already felt pretty confident in my ski

October 3, 2025 Carisa Grove, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopedale and Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. This photo was taken on our last day in Hopedale. We split ourselves up between two boats and toured around some of the islands in the area. This day really stood out to me on our trip because it was when we learned the most about the history and culture of Hopedale.

August 25, 2025 Katerina Dimitroulas, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopedale and Sheshatshiu in 2025 as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of reflective writing. Photo: I took this picture on June 22nd 2025, our last day in Hopedale, when the Flowers family took us on a boat tour and we spotted an iceberg in the distance. Captured in this photo is the second boat, holding half of our group, as they cir

October 25, 2025 Julia Skinner, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopdale and Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. Participating in the Chinook Project was an eye-opening experience, I learned a lot about myself, my ability to adapt to changing situations, and how to lean on my teammates when I need help. I was nervous before heading to Labrador, worried my surgical skills weren’

October 21, 2025 Emily Czerwinski, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopedale and Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. In veterinary medicine, providing a positive patient experience is always a team effort. This was especially clear in high stress environments, such as our pop-up spay, neuter, and vaccine clinics in Sheshatshiu and Hopedale. Many of the pets we saw were already n

October 21, 2025 Kisa Storey, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopedale and Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing. This is a photo of me performing a spay during our clinic in Sheshatshiu. In the second week of the trip, I was feeling much more confident in my skills, and I was starting to realize how much I had grown in such a short period of time. I was proud of myself, but also