MARATHON —Superior North Mobile Veterinary Services recently made the move from their usual spot across from Centre Mall in Marathon to a new, more secure location.
Superior North Mobile Veterinary Services offers wellness exams, vaccinations, general surgeries, in-house laboratory work and x-rays for small animals and house pets.
“I have been visiting Marathon since 2010,” said founder and veterinarian Dr. Carl Bowyer. “That’s when I started the business.”
Bowyer made the announcement via their Facebook page on Oct 2.
“Initially, setting up the mobile [service], I was at a couple different places where I was able to see clients,” said Bowyer. “Locations that I did not own, of course. In starting the business, gaining clients, and so on as the business grew I realized that there definitely was good room for committing to… investing in my own place. I actually had been looking for a location in Marathon for a few years already, trying to make that happen somewhere. The opportunity arose at the location on Coveney Street, so we went for it.”
Bowyer noted that Marathon serves as a “centre” of sorts for the mobile clinic.
“Our clients in Marathon are excellent pet owners… and I’m happy to visit Marathon and provide veterinary services to their pets. You could say that I’ve been inspired by their dedication to their pets in investing in putting this up.”
And, it’s not just residents of Marathon stopping in for an appointment: clients travel from neighbouring municipalities and townships such as Schreiber and Terrace Bay for the veterinary services provided by Bowyer and his team.
On the road, the mobile clinic alternates between several municipalities and townships across the region in addition to Marathon — including Manitouwadge, Chapleau, White River, and Wawa.
In total, the unit travels about 1,000 kilometres a week.
“Lots of people say to me, ‘Wow, how do you ever do all of that driving?” said Bowyer. “I don’t know, I really enjoy it. I’m a Southern Ontario import, so I guess I find Northern Ontario scenery awesome and so I don’t mind being in it. I love looking for wildlife when we’re driving down the highway, it’s cool to see moose and bears and everything else — lynx, occasionally.”
Despite having to replace his diesel truck every five years due to wear and tear, Bowyer said that Superior North Mobile Veterinary Services has no intention of staying in one spot.
“I do intend to keep it a mobile business with the clinic that I have on wheels,” said Bowyer. “It’s served us very well… I wasn’t about to buy a building and setup a traditional clinic because I still want to be able to visit the other towns. So, putting up the garage has worked really well.”
This is the second garage purchased by Bowyer, following his acquisition of another garage property in Wawa in 2019.
“I just decided that setting up a couple of locations that are central would be a good idea,” said Bowyer.
Similar to the Marathon location, clients nearer to Wawa travel from neighbouring townships and municipalities — such as Dubreuilville, Hawk Junction, and Hornepayne — to access services.
Bowyer said that the garage in Wawa was an investment well worth making.
“The one that you see in Marathon is basically the exact same building,” said Bowyer.
“The new location offers us a few things. From a business perspective, it’s nice to have our own place where I’m able to have my own property rather than paying rent. That’s something that’s just sort of come with time as the business has grown. […] Obviously, a big advantage is — particularly with our mobile practice — being able to house the mobile clinic in an indoor location, [especially] during winter months. So, instead of clients having to wait in their car during a snowstorm or [in] pouring rain, we’re able to at least bring them into a sheltered enclosure… they can come into the garage and wait.”
Bowyer currently leads a team consisting of himself, registered veterinary technician Karen Martineau, and their assistant Kaleya Belanger.
With a nationwide shortage of veterinarians — particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic — the services that Bowyer and his team provide are a vital lifeline for many northern pet-owners.
Although the clinic is technically not accepting new patients at this time, people are still encouraged to call and be placed on a waitlist in the event that appointments are cancelled and a spot opens up.
Bowyer said that, regardless of his current patient load, he always tries to be as accommodating as possible.
Bowyer also pointed to the program being developed at Lakehead University as a potential solution to the ongoing shortage.
The new vet program at Lakehead University is eyeing a fall 2025 start date.
“Since confederation, there’s only been one vet school in Ontario,” said Bowyer. “So, if they set up a little one at Lakehead, that’s awesome.”