Meet Our Team

Dr. Brent Fawcett grew up in the Comox Valley. Today he resides on a small acreage in Mission with his wife, Stef and his three kids, Will and Grace and Rylan. Dr. Brent obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at the University of British Columbia. He graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Brent cofounded Agwest Veterinary Group with the goal of providing a progressive bovine and equine practice for farmers and horse owners in the Fraser Valley. He enjoys providing a wide range of veterinary services in a busy private practice, but he has a particular interest in preventative health care. Within Agwest, Dr. Brent specializes in Herd Production Medicine, Farm Business Economics and Animal Care and Welfare. In addition, Dr. Brent is a director and the current president of XLVets Canada; a network of independent Canadian veterinary practices that work together collaboratively and is also a director of Proventus Agri Solutions; a national agri-business consultancy company. In his spare time, Dr. Brent enjoys mountain biking, hiking and riding/driving his Clydesdale gelding, Laddy.

Dr. Lisa McCrea grew up in rural New Brunswick and has always had a love for dairy cattle. Today she resides on an acreage in Abbotsford with her husband, Phil Hemphill, where they enjoy raising purebred Holstein cows and heifers. In 1998, Dr. Lisa graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College and spent the next ten years practicing in large animal clinics in Orangeville and Navan, Ontario. There, she specialized in dairy production medicine and reproduction. In 2004, Dr. Lisa completed the two year Dairy Health Management Certificate Program at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. She joined the Agwest team as a veterinarian and co-owner in 2007. Currently, Dr. Lisa specializes in Advanced Reproduction technologies including Embryo Transfer and In Vitro Fertilization, Herd Production Medicine, Calf Health Management and Nutrition, Cow Comfort and Lameness. Dr. Lisa is also a director and vice-president of the Canadian Embryo Transfer Association, a director of XLVets Canada and Proventus Agri Solutions. Most recently, Dr. Lisa has been appointed as the CVMA and practicing veterinarian representative to the Animal Care Technical Committee for Dairy Farmers of Canada ProAction. In her spare time, Dr. Lisa and Phil enjoy gardening, travelling, golfing and riding motorbikes.

Dr. Jackie was born and raised in Chemainus on Vancouver Island. She had a love for animals from a young age, and her passion for dairy cattle and the industry was immediate when she started working at a local dairy farm after high school. She completed her Bachelor of Science at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, and then headed to the prairies and graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM in 2014. Dr. Jackie worked as a mixed animal practitioner in Sundre, Alberta before returning home to the Island to work as a large animal vet in 2016. In 2019, Agwest expanded operations and opened a satellite office on the Island. Dr. Jackie joined the team as the senior vet of Island operations. Also, in 2019, she became a Certified Embryo Transfer Veterinarian and works as the sole veterinarian performing this role on the Island. Dr. Jackie grew up being involved in multiple sports and continues to play ice hockey and rugby outside of work. When not exploring the island, Dr. Jackie and her partner Bas can also be found working on projects around their home in Shawnigan Lake.

Dr. Leo Hylkema has been a large animal veterinarian in the Cowichan Valley for almost 30 years. Leo and his wife Dr. Lucy Steunenberg-Hylkema have raised three wonderful children, dozens of delightful cows, and five adequate donkeys. If he’s not at your farm he’s likely hiking, skiing, or spending time with his family. We are happy to have him as part of the AgWest team.

Dr. Blossom de Bruin grew up on an acreage in the Fraser Valley, where her love of animals was cultivated from a young age. She completed her Bachelor of Science (major in biology) at the University of the Fraser Valley in 2018, then moved to Saskatchewan for vet school, graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. After graduation, Dr. Blossom attended the Summer Dairy Institute at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY before spending a year and a half enjoying the variety of mixed animal practice in the Niagara region of southwestern Ontario. During this time, she was also privileged to attend the Saputo Dairy Welfare Scholar Program at the University of Guelph. Dr. Blossom was very excited to move to the Island and join the Agwest team in 2024. She enjoys working with dairy farmers to maximize herd productivity while prioritizing animal welfare; areas of particular interest include genetics and reproduction, calf care, and obstetrics. Dr. Blossom also enjoys working with small ruminants and their caretakers, having grown up on a hobby farm with both sheep and goats. Outside of work, you can find Dr. Blossom enjoying the outdoors on her bicycle or motorcycle, hiking, traveling, or spending time at home with her partner Brendan and their two cats.

Dr. Anthony Kerkhoff is a 2023 graduate from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. He grew up in the farming and building community here in the Fraser Valley.  Anthony with his wife, Jenn, their three children and an ever-growing collection of pets, returned home to BC in 2023 and have settled down in Rosedale. During his clinical year at Oklahoma State University, Anthony spent time with the team at Agwest and came to appreciate and enjoy the quality of client and practice he experienced here and is excited to be a part of the Agwest group. Anthony’s background in construction and his interest in food animal production will see him interested in both the farm and the individual animal. Outside of work, Anthony enjoys hiking, cold water swimming and camping with his family.

Nikki joined Agwest as the Inventory Lead & Registered Veterinary Technician in May 2022. She graduated from Douglas College in 2016 as a Registered Veterinary Technician and spent 5 years working in small animal practice. Eager to utilize her organizational skills and continue learning about Large Animal medicine, Agwest was the perfect fit.Nikki lives in Mission with her husband and 2 young children. Outside of work, she is passionate about small business, hiking and yoga.

Kristen was born and raised on a dairy farm near Taber, AB, where she grew up feeding calves and milking cows. After taking care of animals her entire life, the Animal Health Technology program at Lakeland College seemed like a natural next step. Since graduating college in the spring of 2021, she worked first in a mixed animal clinic, then at a cattle clinic, both in southern Alberta. In April 2023, she decided to pack her bags, and move west to the Fraser Valley to join the team at Agwest. Kristen has really enjoyed getting to know the producers throughout the lower Mainland, and loves sharing her passion for cattle health and welfare with our clients. When she is not working with cows, Kristen enjoys reading, playing softball, and paddle boarding.

Growing up in Abbotsford, Kelly Harder developed an interest in agriculture and started her journey in the industry at Birchwood Dairy in 2016. She also boasts experience as a hoof trimming assistant. In addition to her work, Kelly enjoys various hobbies such as horseback riding, cross-stitching, crocheting, and hiking, with Cheam being her favorite hiking spot. She also has a passion for traveling and has already visited countries like Mexico, South Africa, USA, and Scotland. For her next adventure, she is considering either Ireland or New Zealand. Kelly is enthusiastic about advancing her career within the Agwest group. Also, she loves frogs and goats!

Shannon was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley and still resides there today with her husband of 24 years and her two sons. Growing up she spent a lot of time at her Uncle’s large dairy farm in Chemainus. In July 2019, Agwest expanded to a second location on Vancouver Island and Shannon joined the team as a Veterinary Assistant that October. She has been an amazing addition to the team. In her spare time, Shannon likes to curl, play ball, spend time on the water and quading in the mountains.

Yvonne has lived in Abbotsford all of her life. She has been involved in the agricultural community in the Fraser Valley for over 25 years, providing management services in farm equipment, dairy parlour equipment, and now in animal health services. She has 3 grown children and is a Gramma to 3 little humans. Yvonne joined Agwest in 2006 and enjoys meeting and talking to all of our clients. Her cheerful voice is likely your first point of contact for anyone calling or coming in to the clinic. Yvonne excels at the challenging task of coordinating all of our appointments spread throughout the Fraser Valley and Cowichan Bay area on Vancouver Island. Please don’t hesitate to give her a call with any questions you may have.