Shaun Mackie A/Regional Environmental Health Manager

1. Shaun MackieA/Regional Environmental Health Manager Health Canada Program Update Southern Tribal Council and Large/Unaffiliated First Nations Meeting October 24, 2012

2. Environmental Public Health Program Objective • The Environmental Public Health Program is to identify and • prevent environmental public health risks that could • negatively impact the health of First Nations community • residents and to recommend corrective action to reduce these • risks.

3. Guiding Principles • 1. Work with First Nations communities as active partners in the Environmental Public Health Program. • 2. Collaborate with public health workers, provincial and local health authorities, First Nations organizations and other federal, provincial and municipal departments and agencies when delivering environmental public health programming in First Nations communities. • 3. Strive for a level of on-reserve environmental public health services that is comparable to that available off-reserve and consistent from region to region.

4. Program Service Boundaries Sioux Lookout Thunder Bay West Thunder Bay East Southern Ontario Senior EHO Offices

5. Sioux Lookout 31 First Nations 1 Senior EHO - Sioux Lookout 4 EHOs: all in Sioux Lookout Thunder Bay West 39 First Nation communities 1 Senior EHO - Thunder Bay 4 EHOs: Kenora, Fort Frances, Thunder Bay (2) Thunder Bay East 39 First Nation communities 1 Senior EHO – Sudbury 5 EHOs: Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury(2), Timmins(2) Southern Ontario 25 First Nations 1 Senior EHO - Brantford 5 EHOs: London, Brantford, Washago, Toronto, Ottawa 1 transferred EHO serving Akwesasne Ontario Organization of EHOs

6. New HC Regional Staff • Regional Executive (Regional Director) • Keith Conn • Regional Community Medicine Specialist • Dr. Maureen Carew

7. Preparing Lab RFP • Current lab contracts expire March 2013 • Currently five contracts: • Cadeuceon, chemical & bacterial • ALS, bacterial x2 • Near North, bacterial

8. Community Based Water Monitor • Funding program for weekly sampling of community water systems/public systems • This year, 37 communities are participating

9. HC Drinking Water Workshops • Education/training workshops for 2012/2013 • Four planned: Niagara Falls, Sault Ste Marie, Thunder Bay x2

10. Ontario First Nations Drinking Water Advisories (as of Oct 19th) • A total of 54 drinking water systems in 28 First Nations are under an advisory • Sioux Lookout 22 Systems 12FN • Thunder Bay 19 Systems 11FN • Southern 12 Systems 4FN • Moose Factory 1 System 1FN

11. Reasons for Advisory • Inadequate disinfection/residuals 38% • Equipment malfunction 32% • Poor microbiological quality 16% • Source water deterioration 8% • Elevated turbidity 4% • System may compromise public health 2% • Disease outbreak 0%

12. Public Advisory Disclosure • http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/promotion/public-publique/water-eau-eng.php • “As of September 30, 2012, there were 116 First Nations communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory.”

13. Thank You • Questions? • Shaun Mackie • A/REHM • Brantford, ON • 519-751-6447 • Shaun.Mackie@hc-sc.gc.ca