Former Yukoner reflects on guide dog experience as new batch of dogs finish training

A former Yukoner says she is thankful for her guide dog, whichallowed her to navigate Whitehorse winters.

Louise Michaudspoke about her experience this weekas new graduate dogs are going into service across Canada.

Last summer,Michaud travelled from Yukon to Ottawa and trained for two weeks with Jess, a female black lab.

Since then, "she and I have been bombing around Whitehorse all winter.I think we're a perfect match," she said.

Michaudrecently moved to Reginaafter living 11 years in Yukon. She said accessibility wasn'ther reason for moving.

Michaud saidnavigating Whitehorse with a guide dog was quite feasible. In fact, she said the city is well-adapted to people who are visually impaired.

"On the whole it's been a welcoming and positive experience," she said of living in Whitehorse.

"Sidewalk clearing is a little more optional than I'd like to see it but audible signal traffic lights are useful as well as the bus service. As a visually-impaired person, I can't say I encountered anything that could not be overcome."

Michaudspoke at an online graduation ceremony on Wednesdayas the Canadian National Institute for the Blind(CNIB) marked the graduation of 29 dogs from a training program, which lasts two years.

The dogs, having completed their time with trainers and hosts, will nextbe paired with people who are visually impairedacross Canada.

Graduating class adds to Canada's supply of guide dogs

This year's graduating class are all Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers or a mix of both breeds.

Victoria Nolan, CNIB Guide Dogs' head of stakeholder relations and community engagement says these breedsarea good choice for guiding in Canada.

"They love to work. Also these two breeds have a double layer coat which means they can be sent anywhere in Canada and will shed according to the climate," she said.

This year's graduation brings CNIB's total to 57 dogs trained since 2017 when it started its program in Canada.

Of this year's class, only20 dogs will work as service dogs which is the most difficult role.

The nine others will work in others roles such as being assigned to children for emotional support or take part in other public events as "ambassadors" for the program.

The CNIB is now fundraising in Canada, seeking volunteersand trying to ramp up its training of service dogs as border closures have prevented travel and importation of service dogs from the U.S.

Michaud said she is glad recent efforts will mean more dogs are paired with people like her.

"She gives me independence," she said of her dog, who helped her through therecent move."I have learned to navigate a new city, I have learned new routesand I do that with confidence because I have the guide dog."