BOARD OF HEALTH

A G E N D A

1. RETIREMENT AND LODGING HOMES.

Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

and Medical Officer of Health

(September 8, 1999)

Respecting short-term and longer-term steps that can be taken to investigate, report back on and help to address the health, social and legal issues arising from unregulated retirement homes; and recommending that:

(1) a Retirement Homes Advisory Committee be established, comprised of Councillors Ootes (Deputy Mayor), Johnston (Seniors Advocate), Filion (Chair, Board of Health), Duguid (Chair Community Services Committee) and Flint (Chair Planning and Transportation Committee);

(2) a Retirement Homes Action Team led by Public Health, be established with membership from Homes for the Aged, Municipal Standards and Licensing, Fire, Ambulance, Buildings, Legal Services, Shelter Housing and Support and Toronto Police and Social Development. This team will immediately implement a short-term action plan to address complaints and concerns from the public regarding retirement homes;

(3) the City of Toronto fully apply its existing legal powers to investigate complaints related to the health and safety of residents in retirement homes across the City;

(4) the Commissioner of Community Services and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health and City Solicitor, establish an interdepartmental working group comprised of staff from Police, Fire, Ambulance and Legal as well as other appropriate stakeholders. This working group will report back to the Retirement Homes Advisory Committee by November 1999, and by December 1999 to the Board of Health, the Community Services Committee and the Planning and Transportation Committee, on the scope of the problem, issues related to the development and monitoring of mechanisms for ensuring quality and standards of care, and possible roles for the City, the Province and other stakeholders in this regard;

(5) this report be forwarded to the Planning and Transportation Committee and the Policy and Finance Committee;

(6) the estimated funding of $527,500.00 required for the short-term solution be absorbed in the Community and Neighbourhood Services 1999 approved Operating Budget, and that a report be submitted to the Budget Committee on the details of this expenditure, and the under expenditures in 1999 that may be reallocated for this purpose, as part of the 1999 Operating Budget Variance Reporting process;

(7) the funding implications of a longer-term solution be subject to a report to the Budget Committee, for consideration with the year 2000 Operating Budget process; and

(8) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

1(a) City Clerk

(September 9, 1999)

Advising that the Community Services Committee on September 9, 1999, recommended to the Policy and Finance Committee, and Council, adoption of the joint report dated September8, 1999, from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services and Medical Officer of Health respecting retirement and lodging homes, subject to amending the recommendations as outlined therein.

2.RESPONSE TO 1999 HEALTH CANADA'S

NUTRITION LABELLING POLICY REVIEW.

Medical Officer of Health

(September 2, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1) the Board of Health, in response to Health Canada's Nutrition Labelling Policy Review, urge the Federal Minister of Health to make nutrition labelling mandatory on all foods in Canada and to allocate resources to the development of a comprehensive consumer education plan to ensure that Canadians can understand and use nutrition labels to make healthier food choices; and

(2) the Board of Health forward this report to other Boards of Health in Ontario, the Ontario Public Health Association and the Canadian Public Health Association and request them to join in advocating for mandatory nutrition labelling in Canada.

3. AIR QUALITY: CANADA-WIDE STANDARDS FOR

PARTICULATE MATTER AND GROUND LEVEL OZONE.

Medical Officer of Health

(August 27, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1) the Board of Health request the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to adopt the following:

(a) establish Canada-wide standards for particulate matter (PM) and ozone as recommended by Toronto Public Health:

(i) PM₁₀: 50 µg/m³ by 2010, 40µg/m³ by 2015 (24 h averaging);

(ii) PM_2.5: 25 µg/m³ by 2010, 20µg/m³ by 2015 (24 h averaging);

(iii) Ozone: 82 ppb by 2010, 70 ppb by 2015 (1 h maximum);

(iv) Ozone: 68 ppb by 2010, 60 ppb by 2015 (1h, 4^th highest);

(v) Ozone: 60 ppb by 2010, 50 ppb by 2015 (8 h equivalent, 4^th highest);

(vi) Achievement measures:

PM: 98^th percentile, averaged over three consecutive years; and

Ozone: 4^th highest value, averaged over three consecutive years,

and develop mechanisms to ensure that actual emission and ambient level reductions are demonstrated by 2005;

(b) facilitate immediate implementation of the preliminary actions identified by each jurisdiction to achieve the standards;

(c) continue to invite and fund a representative group of public health professionals and health organizations to participate in consultation/workshop(s) in future Canada-wide standard setting exercises;

(d) request the Canadian Public Health Association to facilitate further consultation/workshop(s) on socioeconomic analysis relating to particulate matter and ozone; and

(e) facilitate the establishment of dedicated funding, legislation and policy to develop, improve and expand an integrated public transit system(s) within the Windsor-Toronto-Quebec corridor;

(2) the Board of Health forward this report to the Ministers of the Environment, Transportation, and Energy, Science and Technology in Ontario, to encourage these ministries to implement the preliminary actions identified for Ontario and to report publicly on their progress;

(3) the Board of Health forward this report for information to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area Services Board;

(4) the Board of Health forward this report to other municipalities in Ontario with a population greater than 50,000 and request that they endorse these recommendations; and

(5) the Board of Health recommend that City Council endorse this report and recommendations.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE CITY OF TORONTO.

Medical Officer of Health

(September 2, 1999)

Providing a summary of the environmental health issues that can and do affect the residents of Toronto; and recommending that:

(1) the Board of Health receive this report and the attached background report, entitled "Environmental Health Issues in the City of Toronto" for information; and

(2) the Board of Health refer both reports to the Environmental Task Force for information.

5. HEALTHY BABIES, HEALTHY CHILDREN PROGRAM UPDATE.

Medical Officer of Health

(September 1, 1999)

Providing an update on Toronto Public Health's Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program, including the expansion of the "at-risk" component, the introduction of the new postpartum component, and its linkage with Family Health Planning; and recommending that this report be received for information.

6. UPDATE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR TORONTO PUBLIC HEALTH.

Medical Officer of Health

(September 3, 1999)

Providing a summary of the strategic planning process undertaken by the Public Health Division during 1999, and presenting goals and objectives to support the previously adopted vision, mission, principles and strategic directions; and recommending that the Board of Health endorse the revised strategic directions and the goals and objectives for each strategic direction as outlined in Appendix B of this report.

7. MEMBERSHIP OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUB-COMMITTEE.

(NOTE: AT ITS LAST MEETING, THE BOARD OF HEALTH, IN ADOPTING THE FOLLOWING REPORT, AS AMENDED, DEFERRED CONSIDERATION OF BOARD REPRESENTATION ON THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUB-COMMITTEE UNTIL THIS MEETING.)

Medical Officer of Health

(July 12, 1999)

Recommending, in part, that:

(1) the Board of Health implement the recommendation to establish a Substance Abuse Sub-Committee of the Board of Health according to the proposed membership and terms of reference outlined in Appendix B.

8. REPORT OF THE TORONTO HOOF AND CYCLE COURIER COALITION,

"CHOKING US TO DEATH: THE AIR POLLUTION CRISIS AND

ITS EFFECTS ON BICYCLE COURIERS".

City Clerk

(July 22, 1999)

Advising that the Toronto Cycling Committee at its meeting on July 19, 1999, had before it a report from the Toronto Hoof and Cycle Courier Coalition, headed "Choking Us to Death: The Air Pollution Crisis and its Effects on Bicycle Couriers" (May 1999); and requesting the Board of Health to:

(1) invite representatives of the Toronto Hoof and Cycle Courier Coalition, and any other interested representatives of the courier industry, to make a presentation to the Board respecting the report of the Coalition; and

(2) participate in assisting the Coalition in research on the impact of smog on the health of workers in the courier industry.

9. COMBAT SHOOTING AS A DEMONSTRATION SPORT

AT THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES.

Councillor Joe Mihevc,

York Eglinton

(July 28, 1999)

Forwarding a press release respecting Combat Shooting as a Demonstrated Sport at the 2004 Olympic Games and thereafter; and advising of his intention to move that the Board of Health voice its opposition to the sport of Combat Shooting and that the appropriate organizations be so notified.

10. FOOD BANKS.

Councillor Anne Johnston,

North Toronto

(July 29, 1999)

Requesting that the Medical Officer of Health report to the next meeting of the Board of Health regarding the adequacy of standards on the food being donated and distributed at food banks.

ANY OTHER MATTERS.