About Us

Greenbelt Veterinary Services Ltd. is a farm animal practice that has provided reliable veterinary care to the Fraser Valley since 1973. We started as McFee Veterinary Clinic, a single veterinarian practice run by Ron McFee, before forming Greenbelt Veterinary Services in 1982.

We have grown from that single doctor to our current team of eight veterinarians, offering health services in dairy production and embryo transfer, swine production, and to an extensive list of farm animals including horses, beef cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas.

Our mission is to provide the food production/equine/hobby animal community with exceptional preventative and emergency health care. Through co-operative and professional leadership, we strive to offer innovative animal health education, and production and research services at competitive prices.

Meet Our Veterinary Team

Dr. John Dick
Dr. John Dick Veterinarian - DVM
John grew up in Chilliwack on a dairy farm. John graduated in 1998 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and received the Faculty Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement. Upon graduation, John started work with Greenbelt Veterinary Services.

His prime interests are dairy production and preventative medicine. Special veterinary interests include calf raising, pharmacology and preventative vaccine protocols. John is a member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and frequently attends continuing education conferences. His non- veterinary interests include hiking and horseback riding.

Dr. Jason Ricka
Dr. Jason RickaVeterinarian - BScAg, DVM
Raised on a dairy farm in Chilliwack, Jason received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of British Columbia in 1999 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Saskatchewan in 2003. After three years spent honing his skills at a progressive dairy practice in Embrun, Ontario, Jason returned home to join Greenbelt Veterinary Services in 2006.

He is still actively involved with the family farm, Brooknook Holsteins, run by his brother Mark and his father John. Jason’s love of farming and the Holstein breed translates well into his everyday work as a veterinarian. His wife Carli is also in small animal veterinary practice in the Fraser Valley.

They have 4 beautiful children: Isaac, Desmond and a set of twins, Alistair and Juliet, who keep Jason running when he’s not busy at work or on the farm.

Dr. Phil Chris
Dr. Phil ChrisVeterinarian - BSc, DVM
Phil was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Son of an equine veterinarian, Phil followed in his father’s footsteps and graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2007. He worked for a year in a mixed animal practice in Kemptville, Ontario before coming to Chilliwack with his wife, Chantal, so she could finish her training as a family physician.

They fell in love with the community, scenery and bountiful options of year-round outdoor activities, and lost any desire to move back east. Phil is enthusiastic about working with all types of farm animals from large dairy herds to performance horses to backyard goats and pigs. He served on the Board of Directors for the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners for three years, and has sat on the Advisory Committee on Certified Technicians for the College of Veterinarians of BC.

The Chris family grew in 2010 with Aveline, and in 2013 with Oliver, and are excited to continue to be involved in this great community.

Dr. Beverly Chard
Dr. Beverly ChardVeterinarian - DVM
Beverly grew up on a dairy farm in Dewdney, B.C and she spent her youth working with the cows and attending 4-H shows throughout the Fraser Valley in the summers. This is where her life-long passion for agriculture and livestock developed. She took the leap and moved to Saskatchewan in 2011 to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture (majoring in Animal Science). During this time, Beverly was accepted into the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Beverly was lucky enough to attend the Cornell Summer Dairy Institute, an advanced training program for prospective dairy veterinarians. She spent an intensive 6-weeks there learning from experts in dairy production medicine. Beverly graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in the summer of 2017.

After weathering 6 Saskatchewan winters, she is excited to be moving back to the Fraser Valley with her husband Craig. She is looking forward to start working with all types of farm animals. Outside of Veterinary Medicine, Beverly enjoys hiking, camping and fishing.

Dr. Josh Waddington
Dr. Josh WaddingtonVeterinarian - DVM
After a youth (mis)spent exploring a number of work and life experiences, Josh graduated with distinction from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 1990. Since that time has been involved exclusively with farm and food animal practice. After an initial two very cold years in practice in Saskatchewan, Josh came west to join GVS as an associate and eventual partner in 1992. Throughout his time in veterinary practice Josh’s focus has been on dairy and swine health and production management.

In the late 1990’s Josh and his family took an extended sabbatical from veterinary profession to explore some of this world via sailboat. At the beginning of 2000, after some fantastic travel experiences, he returned to work at GVS, balancing the week with a contract veterinary position with the Food Safety and Quality Branch of the provincial Ministry of Agriculture, which he continued to blend until 2008. Since that time Josh has focused his attention on production areas integral to animal welfare, food safety, and ultimately farm profitability. In 2017 Josh stopped working on dairy cattle to focus his veterinary time solely on swine production.

Josh is married to Leslie, his wife of 29 years, and they share 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren. Josh’s passion and enthusiasm for veterinary medicine has obviously rubbed off on his children, as 2 of them have chosen to pursue careers in the veterinary profession.

Dr. Anne Dick
Dr. Anne DickVeterinarian - DVM, MVetSc, Dip ACVS
Anne grew up in Calgary, Alberta. Her interest in horses was the reason she became a veterinarian. After graduation from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine Anne completed a large animal internship at Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island. She then returned to the WCVM for a 3 year residency specializing in large animal surgery and lameness. During her residency program Anne obtained a Masters of Veterinary Science. Upon completion of her residency she wrote and passed the specialty board examinations for large animal surgery. Anne is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Anne’s experience in lameness and surgery allows her to diagnose and treat many difficult cases. When not working Anne is keeping very busy as “Mom” to Matthew and Andrew.
Dr. Christina Lyn
Dr. Christina LynVeterinarian - DVM
Christina was raised just outside of Toronto. Riding horses during her youth and exposure on her uncle’s commercial cow calf operation began her focus in large animal production. During an agriculture undergraduate degree and participating in the local beef 4H club, she focused on a career as a large animal veterinarian. A graduate from the Ontario Veterinary College, she was awarded the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners’ Prize and the Dr. R. A. Curtis Bovine Award, the prize for a student focused on herd health and preventative medicine. She has a keen interest in bovine and small ruminant preventative medicine and lameness. The technical hoof trimming course in Wisconsin through the Dairyland Hoof Care Institute helped hone her skills on lameness prevention and treatment.

Christina is looking forward to meeting all of Greenbelt’s clients. She along with her husband Jackson and her dog are looking forward to exploring everything BC has to offer.

Dr. Danni Whitehead
Dr. Danni WhiteheadVeterinarian - DVM
Dr. Danni grew up in Chilliwack and then went to Saskatchewan to complete her DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. During vet school she took the opportunity to participate in several programs including a dairy program at Cornell University and an equine reproduction rotation in Texas.

After graduating from the WCVM in 2016, Danni completed an internship in large animal theriogenology (reproduction). She practiced large animal medicine and surgery in rural Saskatchewan for 3 more years before moving home to Chilliwack. She enjoys working on dairy and beef cattle, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, and a bunch more wild and wacky critters.

Dr. Danni’s favourite thing to do is deliver babies of all shapes and sizes. She would do it all day long if she could! She loves it so much that she goes back to Saskatchewan for a couple weeks during calving season each year to help out the busy vets there.

Dr. Danni and her husband are owned by their 3 dogs Lily, Bud, and Turkey, their Belgian draft horse Hal, and their retired Jersey cow Nova.

Meet Our Office Team

Judy Ypma
Judy YpmaOffice Manager • Data Entry • Reception
Judy came to Greenbelt in 1986 and worked full-time until her sons Troy and Bryce were born. She is adept at transferring call sheet data into invoices and scheduling regular Herd Healths. Coming from a dairy family she is well-known to many of our clientele. With her husband Jeff and sons they enjoy family, school and church events.
Mieka Giesler
Mieka GieslerReception • Inventory Management • On-farm Technician
Annemieka was born and raised on a dairy farm in Chilliwack. She spent her younger years as an active member of 4-H in Chilliwack and Agassiz, and worked her way up to management. She has always enjoyed living an active lifestyle, playing youth soccer for 12 years, and participating in soccer and field hockey in high school. The culmination of her athletic prowess was when she was named strongest middleweight girl at Sardis Secondary in 2010 with an astounding 33 points! She has worked on many dairy farms throughout her life, even spending a year suffering in Bradford, Ontario through the Agriventure Exchange Program. But her heart always remained in the Fraser Valley, and she received the gift of a lifetime when Greenbelt allowed her to come and work for us in the winter of 2017. She is loving every minute of being part of our team, and has progressed up the ladder to become our calf-handling specialist.
Nicole Feist
Nicole FeistLab Technician
Nicole graduated from West Coast College as a Veterinary Assistant in 2004. She has worked within the small animal industry her whole career.

Nicole began working for Greenbelt in October 2021 and is looking forward to learning the large animal side. Nicole works as our Laboratory Technician, and when she is not busy with processing samples, you’ll find her answering phones and helping clients. She thrives at a fast pace and loves to stay busy.

Nicole enjoys spending time with her family, crocheting, and lake/beach days. She loves antiques and is always on the hunt for a new unique piece. Her upbeat personality is infectious, and she is a great team player.

Taylor Roseboom
Taylor RoseboomReceptionist
Taylor was born and raised in Chilliwack. From a young age, she had a great love for animals, especially horses and cows. She is very excited to be a member of the Greenbelt team assisting the dairy community on and off her own family farm.

Taylor enjoys an active lifestyle with her husband Levi, and their three Labradors: Sadie, Ruby, and Rosie. When she’s not surrounded by her dogs or cows, Taylor likes to go hiking, take walks at the river, and enjoy a hot cup of coffee with a good book in her hand.

Retired Vets

Dr. Ron McFee
Dr. Ron McFeeVeterinarian - BScAg, DVM
Ron was raised on a dairy farm on Sumas Prairie until age 11 when the family moved to Chilliwack where he completed Junior and Senior High School. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from UBC in 1968, and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from WCVM in 1972.

Upon graduation, Ron spent a year and a half with Dr. Gordon McKenzie in Williams Lake, BC, before he was given the opportunity to take over Dr. Harry Brewster’s full spectrum veterinary practice in his hometown of Chilliwack.

As the practice grew and became very busy, the focus was increasingly on farm animals and dairy practice, and Ron let the other veterinary clinics in town take over the small animal work. Dr. Chris Byra joined Ron in 1981, and one year later they formed Greenbelt Veterinary Services Ltd. working out of the first office on the corner of Chilliwack Central and Young Rd. Ron stepped away from veterinary practice in 2008, and fully retired about a year later.

Ron and Jackie have been happily married since 1968, and spending time with their three children and numerous grandchildren joyfully occupies much of their retirement time.

Dr. Chris Byra
Dr. Chris ByraVeterinarian - BA, DVM, MBA
A graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1981, Chris joined Ron McFee and a year later they started Greenbelt Veterinary Services. He provided health and production services to Chilliwack dairy and swine farms from the same practice for 35 years. During the last 9 years his work has been restricted to swine herds. Today he still assists with swine calls on occasion but is primarily involved with disease surveillance for the swine industry in western Canada and nationally. He is the manager of the the Canada-West Swine Health Intelligence Network and the Canadian Swine Health Intelligence Network.
Dr. Dick Clegg
Dr. Dick CleggVetrinarian - BSc, DVM
Dick was born in 1950 and raised on the family dairy farm in Rosedale. After obtaining a BSc in Biochemistry from UBC, he went on to graduate from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1978. He began practicing in Saanich BC, and returned to Chilliwack in 1980. After a number of years at Cheam View Veterinary Hospital, and a year as a solo practitioner, Dick joined Greenbelt Veterinary Services in 1986. Dick retired from practice in 2015, but still works with Greenbelt on occasion.

Primarily involved in dairy medicine, he also has experience with horses, goats and sheep. Dick has a special interest in strategies to reduce dairy cattle lameness. Dick also has an avid interest in raptors and the preservation of the local barn owl population, and holds a master banding license. He sets up and monitors owl boxes around the upper valley.

His community involvement also includes counseling first time youth offenders in the Restorative Justice Program. Dick enjoys working with wood, and prefers the wilderness over pavement. Dick and his wife, Daphne, have three sons: Dan, Steve and Eric. The family hobby farm boasts a variety of colorful pet cows and critters.

Dr. Dan McDermid
Dr. Dan McDermidVeterinarian - DVM
“Dr. Dan” was born in Chilliwack and raised on a dairy farm. After 34 years as partner, he decided to retire from ownership in Greenbelt and plans to help out as required over the next few year. He has a special interest in mastitis management and milk quality in dairy cattle, but has worked with a cariety of other species including goats, sheep, ostriches, and mink. Dr. Dan hopes to remain connected to clients he has worked with over the year. When not working in the practice, Dan can be often seen playing his bagpipes, or cycling around the valley.
Dr. Marty Darrow
Dr. Marty DarrowVeterinarian - MS, DVM
Marty was the director of Embryo Transfer Services and Genomic research for Greenbelt until he retired in 2020. He led research in the application of Genomics in herd management which was the largest project of its type in North America.

Dr. Darrow earned both his Masters of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from the University of California, Davis, and his work in embryo transfer over the past 35 years has carried him around the globe both teaching the technology and carrying out programs.

Returning to North America in 1998 he introduced embryo sexing to the region and has sexed over 20,000 embryos. He served 6 years on the board of the local Multiple Sclerosis Society, five of which as Chairman, enjoys training dogs in agility and now enjoys his time on Vancouver Island.