David Waltner-Toews, O.C.
Kitchener, Ontario
A veterinarian and epidemiologist, David Waltner-Toews has studied and promoted the health and well-being of animals, humans and ecosystems. As founding president of Veterinarians without Borders–Canada and advocate for its international counterpart, and a founding member of the Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health–Canada, he was an early proponent of interdisciplinary approaches to dealing with complex environmental, social and health issues. A true renaissance man, this University of Guelph professor emeritus has also authored 13 non-fiction books and 2 novels, as well as 8 collections of poetry.