Agenda

This meeting of the Board of Health will be conducted with members participating in person and remotely.

Directors of the Board and participating City Officials will be provided with the video conference details closer to the meeting date.

To provide comments or make a presentation to the Board of Health:

The public may submit written comments or register to speak to the Board on any item on the agenda.

Written comments may be submitted by writing to boh@toronto.ca.

To speak to the Board, please register by e-mail to boh@toronto.ca or by phone at 416-397-4592. Registered speakers will be provided with instructions on how to participate in the meeting.

Special Assistance for Members of the Public: City staff can arrange for special assistance with some advance notice. If you need special assistance, please call 416-397-4592, TTY 416-338-0889 or e-mail boh@toronto.ca.

Closed Meeting Requirements: If the Board of Health wants to meet in closed session (privately), a director of the Board must make a motion to do so and give the reason why the Board has to meet privately (City of Toronto Act, 2006).

Notice to People Writing or Making Presentations to the Board of Health: The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees and Boards. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City's website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it - such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address - available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Many Committee, Board, and Advisory Body meetings are broadcast live over the internet for the public to view. If you speak at the meeting you will appear in the video broadcast. Video broadcasts are archived and continue to be publicly available.

If you want to learn more about why and how the City collects your information, write to the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto ON M5H 2N2 or call 416-397-4592. 

toronto.ca/council

This agenda and any supplementary materials submitted to the City Clerk can be found online at toronto.ca/council. Visit the website for access to all agendas, reports, decisions, and minutes of City Council and its Committees and Boards.

Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

Confirmation of Minutes - May 27, 2024

Speakers/Presentations - The speakers list will be posted online at 8:30 a.m. on July 8, 2024

Communications/Reports

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:  

1. The Board of Health adopt Toronto Public Health's Strategic Plan 2024-2028 as outlined in Attachment 1 to this report.

This report outlines the components of Toronto Public Health's new strategic plan and recommends its adoption by the Board of Health. The Toronto Public Health Strategic Plan 2024-2028 vision is a city where all people can be healthy and thrive.

A strategic plan is a requirement for the Board of Health as outlined in the Ontario Public Health Standards. Toronto Public Health, through the leadership of the Board of Health - Strategic Plan Development Committee, developed its Strategic Plan 2024-2028 through jurisdictional and evidence scans, and extensive engagement with staff, community members, and partners. This included surveys, public consultations, and meetings, resulting in feedback from 1,419 individuals and approximately 62 organizations. This input shaped the strategic priorities and objectives for the next four years.

As Toronto Public Health emerges from the pandemic response, the new strategic plan will serve as the guiding blueprint to help navigate key priorities, ensuring continued delivery of high-quality programs and services to the diverse population of more than 3 million residents in Canada's most multicultural city.

The Toronto Public Health Strategic Plan 2024-2028 includes:

Vision: A city where all people can be healthy and thrive.

Mission: Toronto Public Health protects and improves health at a population level while reducing health inequities.

Values:

- Accountable and transparent

- Community engaged and connected

- Equitable and inclusive

- Credible and evidence-informed

- Innovative leadership

Priorities:

1. Strengthen health protection, disease prevention, and emergency preparedness.

2. Promote health and well-being across the lifespan.

3. Promote the conditions to support positive mental health and reduce the harms of substance use.

4. Advocate to advance health equity.

5.  Nurture a positive workplace culture.

Supporting activities and measurement indicators will be implemented and monitored through operational workplans for annual report back to the Board of Health. Implementation will involve collaboration with partners and continuous engagement with TPH staff to ensure effective action and measurement of success.

Any financial impacts resulting from the adoption of this report can be accommodated within approved operating or capital budgets.

The Board of Health - Strategic Plan Development Committee recommends that:

1. The Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health to develop an implementation plan
that includes monitoring and tracking to measure progress for the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan and
to report to the Board of Health with annual progress reports on the implementation of the
2024-2028 Strategic Plan.

2. The Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health to develop a public dashboard that
will track the progress of implementation of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.

3. The Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health to include a "Strategic Impact"
section on all reports from Toronto Public Health to the Board of Health which outlines how
the report aligns with and advances strategic priorities and objectives.

4. The Board of Health direct that progress on implementation of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan
should be a metric integrated into the performance appraisal of the Medical Officer of Health.

5. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to report to the Board of Health in
the third quarter of 2027 with an interim report on the full-term implementation of the 2024-
2028 Strategic Plan, to inform the development of the next strategic plan; and
recommendations on re-establishing the Board of Health - Strategic Plan Development
Committee to develop the next Toronto Public Health strategic plan.

6. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to monitor forthcoming changes
to the Ontario Public Health Standards and report to the Board of Health on changes and their
impact.

At its meeting on June 4, 2024, the Board of Health – Strategic Development Committee considered Item HX4.1, Toronto Public Health's Strategic Plan 2024-2028.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:

1. The Board of Health receive this report for information.

Due to climate change, wildfires have become an increasingly significant concern worldwide, impacting ecosystems, communities, and public health. The effects of wildfires extend beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire, as wildfire smoke can travel long distances, impacting air quality in distant regions. 

In June 2023, Toronto experienced the impacts of wildfire smoke on its air quality for the first time, posing health risks, especially to vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted by poor air quality. In response, Toronto Public Health developed an initial Wildfire Smoke Response Strategy, designed as an iterative document to be reviewed and updated as the wildfire situations in Canada evolve.

This report outlines Toronto Public Health's 2023 Wildfire Smoke Response Strategy, and the changes made for the 2024 wildfire season. The 2024 update incorporates the Ontario Ministry of Health's first Wildfire Smoke and Air Quality Reference Document, released in spring 2024. Developed in collaboration with subject matter experts from Toronto Public Health, organizations across the province, and guidance from Environment and Climate Change Canada, it also integrates lessons learned from the 2023 season and best practices from other regions with more wildfire experience.

For the 2024 season, the City will introduce the Cleaner Air Spaces Network, providing safe spaces for people during smoke events who face barriers accessing clean air or who lack air filtration systems at home. Cleaner Air Spaces Network locations include Toronto Civic Centres (Scarborough, East York, York, and North York), Metro Hall, and City Hall. These locations will operate as cleaner air spaces during their regular operating hours, welcoming residents in need of respite from the smoke.

There is no financial impact resulting from the adoption of the recommendation in this report.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:

1. The Board of Health receive this report for information.

This report provides the Board of Health with an update on the risk management reporting that is part of the Ontario Public Health Standards Accountability Framework. It outlines risks and challenges facing Toronto Public Health in 2024, which include talent availability, resource capacity to address evolving and emerging public health issues, and challenges securing public support and adherence to public health advice.

There is no financial impact resulting from the adoption of the recommendation in this report.