The Ontario SPCA breaks ground on new animal centre and veterinary clinic in Cornwall
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cornwall, ON (Oct. 17, 2025) – An official groundbreaking ceremony kicked off construction of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society’s new 8,000-square-foot Cornwall & Region Animal Centre and Veterinary Clinic and marks the beginning of a brighter future for animals and the community.
Once complete in 2027, the new facility at 2151 Second St. W. in Cornwall will replace the aging Ontario SPCA animal centre on Boundary Road, which was designed over 30 years ago and can no longer keep up with the growing needs of the community. The Cornwall & Region Animal Centre and Veterinary Clinic will boost both animal intakes and adoptions by about 30% and will have the space to care for as many as 57 animals at a time – more than double the 24 spaces at the current centre. The facility has been designed for animal health and comfort to minimize stress and reduce length of stay.
The building will also contain an in-house, charity-based veterinary clinic operated by the Ontario SPCA. It will provide high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter procedures and basic veterinary services, helping families access care for their pets that they might not otherwise have received. The 1,400-square foot veterinary clinic will have a medical treatment suite for vaccinations and basic care, and a surgical suite capable of performing thousands of spay/neuter procedures each year.
Designed by Ottawa-based Deimling Architecture and constructed by Grant-Marion Construction of Cornwall, the $8 million facility represents a major investment in the community and a significant driver of local economic growth. Once completed, it will create numerous new permanent jobs and volunteer opportunities, contributing to employment and civic engagement. To date, the Ontario SPCA has secured $4 million through philanthropy for this project. A campaign leadership team will be inviting additional philanthropic support to make this transformative project a reality.
The Ontario SPCA operates 14 animal centres across the province. For over 70 years it has served the communities of Akwesasne, Cornwall, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. It partners with local and regional organizations, including St. Lawrence College, The Agapè Centre and Centre 105 to support animals in the community, and the people who love them.
For more information on the Ontario SPCA, visit ontariospca.ca/sdg
Quotes:
“The size and state of our existing animal centre prevents us from responding to the animal care crisis in the communities we serve. The need is great, and it’s growing,” says Candice Gordon, Manager, Ontario SPCA Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Animal Centre. “This new facility will allow us to support the community with the tools to curb and ultimately solve the animal care crisis in our region.”
“We are a big area – both urban and rural – facing big challenges in terms of stray animals, animal overpopulation and a lack of access to affordable basic veterinary care. This new Ontario SPCA animal centre and veterinary clinic will make our communities safer, help keep animals and people together, and support the veterinary services already here in the community – now and into the future,” says Gordon Campbell, Ontario SPCA Board Member and Capital Campaign Cabinet Member.
“The veterinary clinic will be a first in the region. Intended to complement existing veterinary care in the region, it will help ensure underserved members of our community have access to basic care that their pets might not have otherwise received and will help curb the overpopulation issue of stray animals in the region. It will also help foster educational partnerships with Ontario colleges and universities with veterinary programs, giving students the practical knowledge they need while fostering the next generation of animal care professionals,” says Dr. Jill Kirk, DVM, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.
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Photo caption:
Celebrating the groundbreaking on the new Cornwall & Region Animal Centre and Veterinary Clinic set to open in 2027.
Chris Deimling of Deimling Architecture, Chief Fallon David of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne for the Kana:takon district , Eric Duncan MP for Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry, Charmaine Brett Ontario SPCA President and CEO, Justin Towndale Cornwall Mayor, Renata D’Innocenzo Ontario SPCA Board of Directors Chair, Gordon Campbell Ontario SPCA Board of Director Member and Campaign Cabinet Member, Bernadette Clement Canadian Senator, Jaxon Chapman-Scott Communication Manager for Nolan Quinn MPP of Stormont, Dundas and South-Glengarry, Matt Lefebvre of Grant Marion Construction, Candice Gordon Ontario SPCA Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Animal Centre Manager, and furry friend Tucker.
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Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
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The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been changing the lives of animals for over 150 years. The Society provides care, comfort and compassion to animals in need in communities across Ontario. It values all animals and advocates to treat them with respect and kindness. The Society strives to keep pets and families together and does so through a variety of community support services, such as sheltering and adoptions, including emergency sheltering, feral cat management programs, animal transfers, food distribution, humane education, animal advocacy, and spay/neuter services.
The Ontario SPCA does not receive annual government funding and relies on donations to provide programs and services to help animals in need. To learn more, or to donate, visit ontariospca.ca. Charitable Business # 88969-1044-RR0002.
The Ontario SPCA Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Animal Centre is located on the lands of the Akwesasne Mohawks and their ancestors. We also acknowledge the Algonquin, Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-oshow-nee) (Iroquois), Huron-Wendat (huron-wen·dat), and Abenaki who are neighbours and partners to the Akwesasne Mohawk.
