News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2024

Animal Health Canada Honours Steve Leech with 2024 Leadership in Collaboration Award

Ottawa, ON – Animal Health Canada (AHC) is proud to present Mr. Steve Leech with the 2024 Leadership in Collaboration Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in fostering public-private collaboration to improve farmed animal health and welfare.

Steve has spent over 20 years of his career dedicated to improving animal health and welfare within the Canadian chicken sector. His commitment to collaboration and inclusive leadership has set him apart, making him a driving force behind key industry advancements. His extensive contributions to fostering productive relationships across government and industry have led to significant developments in animal health and welfare.

“Steve knows the value of relationship building and collaboration in making progress on difficult issues and has made this central to all the work he does,” says Lisa Bishop-Spencer, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. “His inclusive approach has been critical in accomplishing lasting impacts on complex animal health and welfare initiatives.”

Among Steve’s many accomplishments, his leadership was integral in shaping Canada's response to animal health threats, as a key player in the industry-government collaborations following the avian influenza outbreak in 2004. He also leads the national, mandatory On-Farm Food Safety Program for chicken, which became the first to receive full Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) recognition in 2013. In 2014, Steve championed the development of the Canadian chicken sector’s Responsible Antimicrobial Use Strategy, earning nationwide support to eliminate the preventative use of Category I and II antibiotics. This strategy has since been validated by federal government surveillance to have made positive impacts in reducing both antimicrobial use and resistance.

Steve’s contributions have additionally included national biosecurity, development and implementation of a national animal care program, and fostering industry-government collaborations.

The 2024 Leadership in Collaboration Award was presented at a ceremony during the annual Animal Health Canada Forum in Ottawa, which gathers stakeholders in Canada’s animal agriculture sectors to share actions and initiatives in relation to animal health and welfare.

The Leadership in Collaboration Award is presented to individuals who demonstrate a commitment to animal health and welfare through public-private collaboration, modeling inclusivity, mentorship, and relationship-building to advance animal agriculture. This award recognizes the efforts made to co-create policies, programs, and knowledge-sharing practices that benefit both industry and government stakeholders.

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Animal Health Canada is the only national organization that brings together industry, federal, provincial, and territorial partners to provide collaborative guidance on a cohesive, functional, and responsive farmed animal health and welfare system in Canada. For more information, visit animalhealthcanada.ca.

For further information:

Tanya Frye
Communications Manager
Animal Health Canada
(613) 302-2671
tfrye@animalhealthcanada.ca