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 - November 24, 2025

Speakers/Presentations - The speakers list will be posted online at 8:30 a.m. on February 23, 2026

Communications/Reports

Election of the Chair of the Board of Health under Part H, Section 22 of the Board of Health Procedures By-law, as amended, for a term of office starting February 23, 2026 and ending November 16, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

Election of the Vice Chair of the Board of Health under Part H, Section 22 of the Board of Health Procedures By-law, as amended, for a term of office starting February 23, 2026 and ending November 16, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:     

1.  The Board of Health review the current directorship of the Board of Health - Budget Committee and appoint Board of Health directors for a term of office ending November 16, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

2.  The Board of Health review the current directorship of the Board of Health - Performance Appraisal of the Medical Officer of Health Committee and appoint Board of Health directors for a term of office ending November 16, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

3.  The Board of Health appoint a Board of Health director to the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) Board of Directors and Board of Health Section for a term of office ending November 16, 2026, and until a successor is appointed and pay expenses for attending alPHa's 2026 meetings and semi-annual meetings/conferences within Toronto Public Health's 2026 Approved Operating Budget.

4.  The Board of Health encourage all Board of Health directors to attend the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' (alPHa) Board of Health Section meeting and semi-annual meetings/conferences in Toronto and pay expenses for attending alPHa's 2026 meetings and conferences in Toronto within Toronto Public Health's 2026 Approved Operating Budget.

This report outlines the need for appointments of Board of Health members to two committees of the Board of Health and one external board for 2026:

- The Board of Health - Budget Committee;

- The Board of Health - Performance Appraisal of the Medical Officer of Health; and

- The Association of Local Public Health Agencies' (alPHa) Board of Directors and Board of Health Section.

Expenses for Board of Health director(s) to attend the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' 2026 Board of Health Section meeting and semi-annual meetings/conferences in Toronto will be absorbed within the 2026 Operating Budget for Toronto Public Health. 

There is no financial impact resulting from the adoption of the recommendations in the report.  The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact Section.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:  

1.  The Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the City Clerk, the City Solicitor, and the Board of Health, to review the Board of Health Procedures By-law and report back to the Board of Health in Q3 2026 with the outcomes of this work. 

The Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards: Requirements for Programs, Services and Accountability requires that local Boards of Health review and revise their by-laws, policies, and procedures regularly. The Board of Health Procedures By-law was reviewed most recently in 2021, with the adoption of a new Procedures by-law in May 2023. 

This report recommends that the Board of Health Procedures By-law review begin in the spring of 2026 with a final report back in Q3 2026.  As part of this review, staff will engage directors of the Board of Health for their insights and feedback.

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

Any financial impact arising from actions taken in response to the review outcome of the Board of Health Procedures By-law will be reported back to the Board of Health in Q3 2026. 

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact Section.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that: 

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

This report responds to direction from the Board of Health to review the feasibility of adding an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) indicator to the Population Health Status Indicators (PHSI) dashboard.

Intimate Partner Violence is a significant societal issue that has direct and ongoing impacts on victims, survivors, and families, and on overall community safety in Toronto. Intimate Partner Violence data that is accessible and publicly shared to understand its impacts can inform prevention efforts and support evidence-based decision making.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) reports on a series of Population Health Status Indicators to support its mission to reduce health inequities, improve population health and to meet the requirements of the Ontario Public Health Standards. Population Health Status Indicators summarize data used to measure health outcomes and behaviours at a population level.

In fall 2025, the Toronto Police Service released an interactive and publicly accessible dashboard with Intimate Partner Violence and family violence data. The Toronto Police Service's Intimate Partner and Family Violence dashboard visualizes trends and distributions across time and geography.

Canada-wide research indicates that the majority of people who had experienced Intimate Partner Violence did not report it to the police[1], which means that police-reported data underestimate the true prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence. Toronto Public Health reviewed other possible data sets and found the data limited and unsuitable for the Population Health Status Indicators dashboard. The newly launched Toronto Police Service dashboard provides the best available Toronto-specific Intimate Partner Violence data available at this time.

The Population Health Status Indicators dashboard is not intended to replicate data already available through other City of Toronto resources. To support immediate and seamless access to the Toronto Police Service dashboard, the Population Health Status Indicators dashboard’s injury section includes a reference and direct link to the Toronto Police Service's Intimate Partner and Family Violence dashboard.

[1] Conroy, S. 2021. Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2019. Juristat. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X.

There is no financial impact associated with the recommendation of this report in the current and future years.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact Section.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:  

1. City Council appoint the physician in Confidential Attachment 1 to the position of Associate Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto Health Unit effective immediately, or on the date the appointment is approved by the Ontario Minister of Health, whichever is later.

2. City Council forward its decision to the Ontario Minister of Health for approval of the Associate Medical Officer of Health appointment in Recommendation 1 above.

3. City Council authorize the appropriate City Officials to take the necessary action to give effect to City Council's decision, including the introduction in City Council of the necessary bills to appoint the physician in Confidential Attachment 1 as an Associate Medical Officer of Health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7.

4. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to this report once adopted by City Council.

This report recommends the appointment of an Associate Medical Officer of Health (AMOH) for the City of Toronto Health Unit and updates the Status of Associate Medical Officer of Health appointment By-laws.

Under the City of Toronto Act 2006, City Council has the authority to appoint the Medical Officer of Health and Associate Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto Health Unit. These appointments are subject to approval by the Ontario Minister of Health. Physicians require Associate Medical Officer of Health designation in order to have medico-legal signing authority under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

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

There are currently two vacancies on the Board of Health. Lindsay Kretschmer submitted her resignation on November 26, 2025. Suman Roy’s seat became vacant effective November 25, 2025 for missing three consecutive meetings without being excused in accordance with Section 49 (8) of the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act, and Section 204 (c) of the City of Toronto Act. We would like to thank Lindsay and Suman for their contributions to the board.

Staff from the Public Appointments Secretariat in the City Clerk's Office are leading a process to recruit applicants and help bring nominated candidates to City Council for consideration.

Additionally, Ida Li Preti has advised us that she is on leave of absence from the Board of Health until such time as the Minister of Education lifts the supervision of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

City Council on November 12 and 13, 2025, adopted Item AU10.3 and, in so doing, has requested the heads of City Divisions, Agencies and Corporations to review the issues and recommendations included in the report (October 22, 2025) from the Audit Committee and consider the relevance to their respective organizations for implementation.

City Council on November 12 and 13, 2025, adopted Item IE25.1 as amended and, in so doing, has requested the City’s Agencies and Corporations to review the report of the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, dated October 15, 2025, titled "10-Year Circular Economy Road Map," including all attachments, along with City Council's directions, and adopt similar actions where possible.

The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to:

1. Review existing indoor air quality and ventilation guidance including information from Health Canada;
2. Review roles and responsibilities for partners involved in indoor air quality, including Ministry of Education, School Boards and Health Canada;
3. Engage with relevant stakeholders and community partners; and
4. Report back to the Board of Health in Q3 2026 with the outcomes of this work.

Over the past few years, Toronto has experienced a spike in extreme heat events and smoke from wildfires, causing our city's residents to become increasingly concerned about the impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) and on health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic also focused attention on indoor air quality with regard to preventing the spread of airborne diseases.

At the Board of Health, we have increasingly heard deputations from concerned residents seeking reassurance that Toronto Public Health is aware of indoor air quality best practices and is actively taking steps to ensure that this aspect of public health is being managed and regulated as best as possible.

As Chair of the Board of Health I am now adding my voice to theirs, and I invite you to join me in formally requesting a comprehensive review of existing indoor air quality guidance and responsibilities by our Medical Officer of Health in order to provide greater clarity around our Board's role, capabilities, and best practices for taking action on indoor air quality.