In
Ontario, a Public Health Unit (PHU;
French: Bureaux de santé) is a government organization under the supervision of a local board of health. A PHU is under the direction of a Medical Officer of Health (MOH), who is appointed by the supervising board of health. The principle legislation governing PHUs is the Health Protection and Promotion Act.[citation needed]
A Public Health Unit administers health programming such as communicable disease control, food premise inspection, and health education. Funding is provided by both the province and the municipality.[citation needed]
List of PHUs
Algoma Public Health Unit, Sault Ste. Marie
Brant County Health Unit, Brantford
Chatham-Kent Health Unit, Chatham
Durham Region Health Department, Whitby
Eastern Ontario Health Unit, Cornwall
Grey Bruce Health Unit, Owen Sound
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, Simcoe
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, Port Hope
Halton Region Health Department, Oakville
Hamilton Public Health Services, Hamilton
Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit, Belleville
Huron Perth District Health Unit, Stratford
Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health, Kingston
Lambton Public Health, Point Edward
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, Brockville
Middlesex-London Health Unit, London
Niagara Region Public Health Department, Thorold
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, North Bay
Health units previously were at the municipal level, meaning that small villages or lowly-populated townships would have their own health programs. As of 1931, Ontario had 944 Medical Officers of Health, of which only 12 were full-time. Advocates for amalgamation included Dr.
John Morrow Robb, the provincial Minister of Health from 1930 to 1934. He noted in 1931 that by banding together, municipalities could hire someone full-time.[1]
This sort of call continued for decades, with the Lakeshore Board of Education in 1956 asking the councils of the
Town of Mimico,
Town of New Toronto, and
Village of Long Branch to consider forming one central service.[2] In 1960, the
Toronto Board of Health chair called for a Metro-wide board, stating "epidemics don't recognize municipal boundaries. The present chaotic division of health responsibilities is ridiculous."[3] Such moves were opposed as of 1967, with Metro's six mayors claiming that one body couldn't serve two million residents. One chair suggested that a merger would lead to a "lowest common denominator" approach.[4]
References
^"Combined units of public health urged by Dr. Robb". The Globe. Toronto ON. 24 March 1931. p. 13.
^"Public Health United Formation Urged". The Globe and Mail. Toronto ON. 13 April 1956. p. 4.
^"Health Service Amalgamation For Metro Area Is Suggested". The Globe and Mail. Toronto ON. 12 November 1960. p. 5.
^Anderson, Susan (6 December 1967). "Metros 6 mayors close ranks against amalgamation of their boards of health". The Globe and Mail. Toronto ON. p. 5.