Agenda

Membership:

Councillor Chris Moise (Chair), Abinaya Chandrabalan (Vice Chair), Councillor Alejandra Bravo, Councillor Lily Cheng, Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin, Charna Gord, Ida Li Preti, Rebecca Mador, Charles Ozzoude, Councillor Anthony Perruzza, Ramanjeet Singh, Councillor Michael Thompson, Stephanie Zhou

Members of the public are invited to submit written comments or register to speak on any item listed on the agenda. For detailed information on how to participate in the Board of Health meeting, including procedures for submitting comments or requesting to speak, please visit: Have Your Say at Council & Committee Meetings (https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/council-committee-meetings/have-your-say/)

 toronto.ca/council

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:  

1. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to continue ongoing efforts to support Toronto Public Health nurses in their delivery of programs and services mandated by the Ontario Public Health Standards.

2. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to report to the Board of Health with an update on the Toronto Public Health nursing workforce in Q2 2027.

3. The Board of Health direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains information about labour relations or employee negotiations.

Nurses represent the largest regulated health professional workforce at Toronto Public Health. They work to advance the organization's mandate to improve the health and well-being of Torontonians and advance population health outcomes. Toronto Public Health employs Public Health Nurses (PHNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) who are integral to the successful delivery of programs and services within communities across the city. In addition to designated nursing classifications, nurses are employed in a range of roles and positions throughout the division, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues across the organization to deliver a range of public health interventions.

This report provides an overview of the nursing workforce at Toronto Public Health, the current trends that inform workforce planning, as well as a summary of Toronto Public Health's Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy. Toronto Public Health continues to monitor and act on public health workforce trends, including nurse recruitment and retention, and remains focused on staff engagement efforts and nurturing a positive workplace culture.

There are no financial impacts associated with the adoption of the recommendations in this report.

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to enter into agreements and other suitable arrangements, on behalf of the City of Toronto, for the transfer of funds to the Angel Foundation for Learning ($7.216 million) and the Toronto Foundation for Student Success ($23.954 million) for the purposes of administering the 2026 approved operating municipal funding (totalling $31.170 million) to eligible Toronto student nutrition programs on terms satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

Student nutrition programs are community-based meal and snack programs offered primarily in school settings and run locally by volunteers, parents, and students. These programs provide children and youth access to nutritious food during the school day, including those at risk for poor nutritional intake.

In collaboration with partners, Toronto Public Health is executing on Council's vision and strategy to achieve a universal student nutrition program.

This report makes recommendations for the 2026 Student Nutrition Program service subsidy allocations that once implemented, would achieve the City's goal of having a universal morning meal program across all public school communities by the 2026-2027 school year.

The proposed combined allocations to the Angel Foundation for Learning and the Toronto Foundation for Student Success are for the purposes of administering the 2026 approved municipal funding to eligible student nutrition programs across the City of Toronto. These allocations total $31.170 million, which includes $0.518 million held in reserve for remaining Phase 4 applications not submitted to date, fall applications, and appeals

Funding of $31.970 million is included in the 2026 Approved Operating Budget of Toronto Public Health for the Student Nutrition Program. Of this amount, $0.800 million was previously allocated, consisting of $0.100 million to the Angel Foundation for Learning (AFL) and $0.700 million to the Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS) to administer municipal funding for eligible 77 new school communities as part of Phase 3 of the Student Nutrition Program expansion.

The report recommends an allocation of $31.170 million, consisting of $7.216 million to the Angel Foundation for Learning and $23.954 million to the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, to administer the remaining 2026 approved municipal funding for all eligible school communities across Toronto, including 78 new school communities under Phase 4 of the Student Nutrition Program expansion. Of the recommended amount, $0.518 million will be temporarily held in reserve to accommodate remaining Phase 4 applicants as well as fall applications and appeals for existing programs, subject to necessary adjustments through December 31, 2026. Allocation details are outlined in Tables 1, 2, and 3 of 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 authorize the Medical Officer of Health to allocate $2.157 million in 2026 and $1.051 million in 2027 out of its Operating Budget to the Toronto Urban Health Fund for grants to the twenty-one projects already deemed eligible.

2. The Board of Health authorize the Medical Officer of Health to negotiate, enter into and execute agreements with Ontario HIV Treatment Network for up to $0.900 million in 2026 and up to $0.900 million in 2027 of the Toronto Urban Health Fund for a pilot project to advance the Toronto to Zero initiative on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.   

The Toronto Urban Health Fund (TUHF) provides grant funding to community-based organizations (CBOs) to deliver HIV and substance use prevention programs.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) has adopted initial findings from a review of the Toronto Urban Health Fund grant program to reduce administrative burden for community-based organizations, including streamlining the reporting process and project requirements. Toronto Public Health will be returning to the Board of Health in 2027 with additional proposed changes to the Toronto Urban Health Fund for the 2028 funding cycle. To facilitate service continuity, Toronto Public Health has implemented an interim approach, approved by the Board of Health. The approach streamlined the approval process to renew funding for twenty-one previously approved projects for the 2026 and 2027 funding period.

This report provides an overview of the Toronto Urban Health Fund and the interim process for funding renewal and outlines recommendations for 2026 and 2027 project grants. The report also recommends allocating funds to the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) for a pilot project to align the Toronto Urban Health Fund grant program with the Toronto to Zero (TtZ) initiative.

The Toronto Urban Health Fund (TUHF) is cost-shared between the City of Toronto and the Ministry of Health.

Funding of $3.057 million gross and $0.764 million net is available in the 2026 Operating Budget for Toronto Public Health to renew twenty-one projects as outlined in Table 2 of the Attachment 1 and advance the pilot project with the Ontario HIV Treatment Network in 2026.

Funding of $1.951 million gross and $0.488 million net required to support these projects in 2027 will be included in the 2027 Operating Budget Submission for Toronto Public Health. This request introduces no budget pressures and is subject to consideration and Council approval alongside priorities through the 2027 Budget process.

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 to engage other relevant City divisions to incorporate the Food Safety Management Plan into special event permitting processes.

2. The Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health to report back to the Board of Health in Q4 2028 on the progress and outcomes of the implementation of the Food Safety Management Plan.

Toronto hosts thousands of special events each year, including street festivals, farmers’ markets, community celebrations, sports competitions, concerts, and large-scale gatherings that take place across public streets, parks, civic squares, and city facilities. Food is central to many of these special events and is often provided through temporary food premises that operate with limited infrastructure, increasing food safety risks. The continued growth in both the number and size of special events—many of which are concentrated on summer weekends—creates operational challenges for Toronto Public Health (TPH) in conducting timely food safety inspections while also maintaining routine inspection activities across the city.

Toronto Public Health developed the Food Safety Management Plan (FSMP), an online planning tool that equips special event organizers (SEOs) with guidance on safe food handling practices, risk assessment, vendor oversight, and food safety emergency planning. The Food Safety Management Plan moves food safety considerations earlier in the special event planning process to enable special event organizer's to understand their food safety responsibilities and how to best structure their event to minimize food safety risks and support food vendors. As directed by the Board of Health, the Food Safety Management Plan was launched in January 2025 as a voluntary tool to gather industry input. Feedback from early users who chose to use the tool indicates strong support: organizers reported that completing the Food Safety Management Plan increased their knowledge of food safety, improved vendor setup and oversight, and was used during special events to both prevent and respond to food safety issues.

Consultation with City divisions involved in special event permitting, including Parks and Recreation, Transportation Services, Corporate Real Estate Management, and Economic Development and Culture, identified opportunities to promote or integrate the Food Safety Management Plan within existing permitting processes.

This report outlines the development and early impact of the Food Safety Management Plan and recommends next steps for advancing its integration into the City’s special event permitting processes thereby making its completion a requirement for special event organizers.

There are no financial impacts associated with the recommendations of this report.