Item - 2026.HL31.2

The Board of Health:

1. Reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Indigenous health and reconciliation through public health governance and accountability mechanisms.

2. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to report back in the second quarter of 2027 on progress related to:

a. continued implementation of the Indigenous Cultural Safety Action Plan;

b. Indigenous Wellness Committee deliverables, including the writing and implementation of a co-developed Indigenous Wellness Action Plan; and

c. outcomes and lessons learned from Indigenous-led partnership models, including funding, service delivery, and community governance approaches.

3. Authorized the Medical Officer of Health to enter into agreements and other suitable arrangements, on terms satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor, with Indigenous-led organizations in 2026 for the Toronto Urban Health Fund Indigenous Funding Stream, totalling $420,000 ($120,000 for one-year cycle and $320,000 for three-year cycle) and to allocate funds in alignment with the City of Toronto adopted Indigenous Funding Framework.

4. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to provide an Indigenous cultural safety and governance learning session to Board of Health members and Toronto Public Health senior leadership in early 2027, following the confirmation of the new Board of Health membership post-elections, to ensure new and returning members are equally equipped to uphold the Board’s responsibilities to Toronto’s Indigenous community and reconciliation commitments.

The Senior Policy and Strategic Issues Advisor, Toronto Public Health gave a presentation on Actions to Advance Indigenous Health.

This report provides the Board of Health with an update on public health actions taken to advance Indigenous health since the last comprehensive update was provided to the Board of Health in January 2024. It also outlines opportunities to strengthen and sustain this work in 2026 and beyond.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) is committed to advancing Indigenous health and wellness through culturally safe, Indigenous-informed, and community-driven public health approaches. This work supports reconciliation and responds to long-standing inequities rooted in colonization, systemic racism, and intergenerational trauma.

Toronto Public Health’s Indigenous Health Strategy is guided by the Ontario Public Health Standards, the City of Toronto Reconciliation Action Plan (2022–2032), the Toronto Public Health Strategic Plan’s priorities and Board of Health directives, alongside direct guidance from Indigenous service providers, Knowledge Keepers, and community leaders.

Since January 2024, Toronto Public Health has advanced key Indigenous health priorities through multiple streams of work, including Indigenous Cultural Safety implementation and learning; Indigenous mental health, wellness, and substance use response, including harm reduction; Indigenous-led vaccination and primary care partnerships; strengthening relationships and relational accountability with Indigenous partners; and advancing Indigenous health data sovereignty and governance.