Unmasking the evidence for reducing harms from wildfire smoke: The role of air cleaners and masks

This webinar is presented by the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH).

Exposure to wildfire smoke poses a significant health risk. Air cleaning or filtration and mask or respirator use are designed to remove or filter out harmful airborne particles, and both are often recommended public health interventions when air quality is poor. The effectiveness of these interventions in mitigating exposure to ambient air pollution from urban sources is well-supported by existing literature. However, evidence on the effectiveness of these devices during wildfire smoke episodes is less clear. To fill this knowledge gap, the National Collaborating Centres for Environmental Health (NCCEH) and Methods and Tools (NCCMT) conducted a series of rapid evidence reviews to better understand the effect of indoor air filtration and mask-use on non-particulate and particulate matter (PM) combustion-derived air pollutant concentrations and human health endpoints.

This presentation will explore the different air cleaning technologies and mask types, and their effectiveness during wildfire episodes. Practical considerations and limitations of these technologies for mitigating wildfire smoke will also be discussed. Finally, this presentation will evaluate evidence gaps on the impact of air cleaners and masks on health outcomes during wildfire episodes, identifying areas for future study.

Details
Thursday, August 28, 2025 - 15:00
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location

An introduction to migrant health and justice in Canada

This webinar is presented by the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH)

“Only by recognizing racism, discrimination and migratory pathways as social determinants of health will it be possible to take action to reduce social inequities in health.” – Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal (Montreal Regional public health department) 

Immigration status is a significant yet often overlooked determinant of health. Migrants — people living, working and studying in Canada with temporary resident status or no status —experience precarious status due to the insecurity of their legal standing and exclusion from the full rights, protections and benefits granted to permanent residents and citizens. The distinction between having permanent resident status or not has profound implications for health and health equity. 

Join us for this foundational webinar, where we will provide an overview of the health and health equity impacts of immigration status for migrants in Canada to build understanding and guide public health planning, policy and action. 

This webinar will be of interest to

  • Public health and community health practitioners, policy makers and decision makers
  • Instructors and educators
  • Students
  • Researchers 

# Webinar objectives:

  • Define key terms and differentiate between types of immigration status
  • Provide a framework describing how structural determinants shape social position, the conditions of daily life and consequently health outcomes for people with temporary or no immigration status 
  • Identify ways for public health and the health sector to address health inequities with and for people with temporary or no immigration status 

This webinar will be delivered in English. Registration will be limited; however, the event will be recorded and made available on this page following the webinar. 

Details
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 - 12:00
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Webinar

Bridging Health and Community Care: The Essential Role of Social Prescribing Connectors

This event is presented by the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing

Social prescribing Connectors—known by many names like Link Workers, Community Connectors and Navigators—play a critical role in social prescribing by bridging healthcare and community support. Join us for an in-depth conversation on how this role is evolving in Canada and beyond, what training and competencies are needed, strategies for sustainable funding, and how social prescribing connectors collaborate with healthcare providers and community organizations to improve wellbeing.

 

Details
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 - 12:00
12-1 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Online event

Turf, Trust and Collaboration: Practical Tools for Building Trust

This virtual workshop is presented by the Tamarack Institute.

The work you do within your collaboration and alongside communities to create systems change starts and succeeds with trust. Trust is your most powerful tool, yet in so many collaborations, trust is assumed, but not intentionally built.

When trust is strong, we design together, act together, and advocate together. But when it’s missing? We retreat into turf - guarding our work instead of building shared power.

# Learning Objectives

 This workshop will help you:

  • Recognize how trust - or the lack of it, shows up in collaborative work
  • Learn tools to build and repair trust across partners and organizations
  • Strengthen your ability to engage diverse community voices with confidence
  • Shift from siloed “turf” to bold, aligned impact

Registrants will receive a participant workbook and self-assessment tool to review in advance and help you clarify your learning goals.  After the workshop, you will have the opportunity to access a 1-hour, small-group coaching session as well as personalized support to deepen your understanding of the workshop content and translate your knowledge into action.

# Registration Fees

  • Single registration: $275
  • Group registration (3 tickets; attendees must be from the same organization): $675

 

Details
Thursday, August 21, 2025 - 13:00
1:00 - 4:30 pm
Cost: 
$275 (group rate available)
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Virtual event

Through Their Lens: Using Photovoice and Cellphilms to Understand the Experiences of Clients of Safer Supply Programs in Toronto

This webinar is presented by the Substance Use Health Network (SUHN) as part of their Research Spotlight Webinar series. 

This webinar explores innovative arts-based research methods used to understand the real-world impacts of safer supply programs in Toronto. We'll present findings from two community-engaged projects that employed photovoice and cellphilms to capture participants' lived experiences with safer supply programs at two different Toronto sites.

Attendees will learn about the methodological considerations of using photovoice and cellphilms with people who use drugs, including practical lessons about adapting these arts-based approaches to meet participants' needs. We'll share key findings that demonstrate how safer supply programs can improve quality of life and social stability, while discussing the implications for healthcare and social justice—particularly relevant given recent program closures.

This presentation offers valuable insights for researchers, service providers, and policymakers interested in both participatory research methods and evidence-based approaches to addressing the drug poisoning crisis through the voices and experiences of those most directly affected.

Details
Thursday, July 24, 2025 - 12:00
12:00-1:30pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Webinar

Trillium 2025 Primary Health Care Research Day

This event is presented by INSPIRE-PHC and the Ontario Departments of Family Medicine.

# Schedule

  • 9:10 - 10:10 | Martin Bass Lecture, Primary Care Attachment for All Ontarians
  • 10:45 - 11:45 | Plenary Oral Presentations
  • 12:30 - 1:30 | Poster Presentations
  • 1:30 - 2:30 | Concurrent Oral Presentations
  • 2:45 - 4:00 | Panel Discussion (with Q&A): Primary Care Access - Measurement
  • 4:00 - 5:00 | Patient Orientated Research Session: Impact of patient engagement in PHC research

# Hosts and Speakers

Hosted by: 

  • Dr. Rick Glazier, INSPIRE-PHC Lead
  • Dr. Michael Green, INSPIRE-PHC Lead

Martin Bass Lecture:

  • Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair, Primary Care Action Team, Ontario Ministry of Health

Panelists:

  • Dr. Elizabeth Muggah, Senior Clinical Advisor, Ontario Health
  • Dr. Mylaine Breton, Canada Research Chair, Université de Sherbrooke
  • Kayla Menkhorst, Patient Advisor, Executive Director, Eganville & District Seniors
  • Dr. Scott McKay (Moderator), Chair, Family Medicine, Western University

Patient Orientated Research Session:

  • Vivian Ramsden, PhD, RN, University of Saskatchewan
  • Benda Andreas, Engagement Specialist, University of Saskatchewan

See the UPDATED event flyer here or visit the Trillium PHC Research Day  website.

# Registration Fees:

  • Early-bird in-person rate: $95 EXTENDED until September 26
  • Regular in-person rate: $125 after September 27
  • Virtual attendance: no fee
Details
Friday, October 17, 2025 - 09:00
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Cost: 
$0 (virtual) or $95 (in person)
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Hybrid - Online and Sheraton Centre Toronto
123 Queen St W
Toronto, ON M5H 2M9

Déclaration de l'Alliance : Célébrer le Mois de l'histoire des peuples Autochtones tout en réfléchissant à ce que signifie écouter et agir

Date: 
Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Alors que nous soulignons le Mois national de l'histoire Autochtone en juin et célébrons la Journée nationale des peuples Autochtones le 21 juin, nous voulons faire une pause et réfléchir à ce que signifie écouter et ce que signifie agir.

Être solidaire doit toujours aller au-delà des mots, des déclarations et des engagements. Lorsque nous nous engageons à agir et que nous nous tenons responsables, le changement est possible. Ce mois-ci, nous nous concentrons sur l’assimilation de la vérité et l'action contre l'oppression, en réduisant les risques, les préjudices et les injustices par les moyens suivants :

  • Continuer à développer une compréhension approfondie et une réflexion émotionnelle sur la vérité, telle qu'incarnée dans les Rapports de la Commission de vérité et réconciliation, y compris les 94 appels à l'action, et un certain nombre de rapports de mise à jour. Sans cette fondation, nous risquons davantage d'oppression et de violence coloniales. Grâce à cette fondation, nous avons une feuille de route puissante pour le changement.
  • Continuer à développer une compréhension approfondie et une réflexion émotionnelle sur le lien entre l'oppression historique et les inégalités et le racisme systémique actuels, y compris dans les systèmes de justice, d'éducation, sociaux et d'incarcération.
  • Reconnaître le problème de la passivité, du consentement tacite aux inégalités persistantes dans les systèmes de santé, sociaux et de justice.
  • Plaider pour créer une sensibilisation politique.
  • Trouver des occasions d'agir et les saisir. Cette étape est la plus difficile, mais la plus importante : elle exige que les gens soient prêts à être déstabilisés, à désapprendre et à penser différemment.

Les organisations de soins de santé peuvent accéder au soutien du Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, qui dispose de ressources remarquables pour aider les organisations et les individus qui apprennent comment pratiquer la solidarité, et comment offrir des soins plus sécurisants sur le plan culturel, y compris des soins de santé mentale.

Il est également important pour les organisations et les leaders de la santé de considérer comment être des alliés en aidant à transformer notre système, d'un système colonial en un système qui remet la santé Autochtone entre les mains des leaders Autochtones, dans tous les sens du terme, des décisions de financement et de développement à l'éducation, en passant par le leadership, la gouvernance et la prestation des soins de santé.

À l'Alliance, nous avons été témoins des réussites, confirmées par la recherche, au sein de nombreuses organisations dirigées par des Autochtones. Il est impératif que les gouvernements continuent de soutenir et d'aider les leaders de la santé Autochtones à bâtir sur ces succès afin de rendre les soins véritablement respectueux des cultures et universellement accessibles à chaque personne Autochtone.

À une époque où les droits de la personne sont attaqués, la pression s'est également accrue sur les droits des Autochtones, y compris le droit à l'eau potable là où vous vivez. Le besoin d'une solidarité bien articulée et engagée est important à tous les niveaux de gouvernement au Canada.

C'est dans cet esprit que nous sommes solidaires avec les leaders de la santé Autochtones à travers l'île de la Tortue ce mois-ci, et que nous nous engageons à poursuivre notre travail de plaidoyer pour garantir que les histoires, les cultures, les connaissances et la sagesse diverses des communautés des Premières Nations, Inuites et Métis, en étant gérée par les Autochtones et intégrée à leurs systèmes et leadership en santé.

 

Alliance statement: Celebrating Indigenous Peoples History Month while reflecting on what it means to listen and act

Date: 
Wednesday, June 18, 2025

As we mark National Indigenous Peoples History Month in June, and celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, we want to pause and reflect on what it means to listen, and what it means to act.

Being in solidarity must always extend beyond words, statements and commitments. When we commit to action and hold ourselves accountable, change is possible. This month we’re focused on reaffirming our commitments to listening to the truth, and acting on oppression, reducing risks, harms and injustices by:

  • Continuing to build an in depth understanding and emotional reflection on the truth, as embodied in the Truth and Reconciliation Reports, including the 94 calls to action, and a number of update reports. Without this foundation, we risk more colonial oppression and violence. With it, we have a powerful map for change.
  • Continuing to build an in depth understanding and emotional reflection on the connection of historic oppression to current inequities and systemic racism, including in the justice, education, social and incarceration systems.
  • Acknowledging the problem of passivity, of silent consent for continued inequities across health, social, justice systems, and advocating to create political awareness for change.
  • Finding places to take actions, and taking them. This step is the hardest, but the most important: it requires that people be ready to be unsettled, unlearning and thinking differently. 

Health care organization can access supports from the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, which has amazing resources to help organizations and individuals who are learning and practicing how to be in solidarity, how to offer more culturally safe care, including mental health care. 

It’s also important for organizations and health leaders to consider how to be allies in helping to transform our system from a colonial one, into one that puts Indigenous health back into Indigenous health leaders hands, in every sense, from funding and development decisions, to education, to leadership and governance to health care delivery. 

At the Alliance, we have seen the successes, and the research to back up those successes, across many Indigenous-led organizations. Governments must continue to support and help Indigenous health leaders to build on these successes and make truly culturally affirming care universally available to every Indigenous person.

During a time when human rights are under attack, pressure has increased on Indigenous rights as well, including the right to clean water where you live. The need for well articulated and committed solidarity matters at all levels of government in Canada.

It’s in that spirit that we stand in solidarity with Indigenous health leaders across Turtle Island this month, and commit to continuing advocacy work to ensure the diverse histories, cultures, knowledge and wisdom of First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities are at the heart of Indigenous health in Indigenous hands and Indigenous health systems and leadership.

 

Q&A: Recording Community Initiatives in PS Suite

This webinar is presented by the Alliance for Healthier Communities

The Alliance is rolling out a new tool for our CHC members to record their community initiatives (CIs) directly in PS Suite. This streamlined process was developed with input from Alliance members in order to streamline CI reporting, with a goal of facilitating spread, scale, continuous improvement, and advocacy. After pilot-testing the new process in the summer of 2025, we are formally rolling it out to all members in September, with a launch webinar scheduled for September 17

We are offering this follow-up webinar on October 22 as an opportunity for you to ask questions and get support with the new process after you've started to implement it in your organization. It will be most relevant for health promotion and community development staff and managers, as well as for data management coordinators and anyone else involved in creating or using CI data in Alliance member CHCs. Christine Randle, our provincial Data Management Coordinator, will be on hand to answer your questions and walk you through any parts of the process you're feeling stuck on. 

 

Details
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - 12:00
12-1 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Webinar

Recording Community Initiatives in PS Suite

Community Initiatives (CIs) are a fundamental part of how Alliance members foster resilient, healthy communities and improve health and wellbeing at the population level. Through advocacy and community organizing, CIs achieve collective social, environmental, and/or policy change that benefits whole communities. They are often community-led and are always delivered in partnership with community members and organizations. 

Although they are essential, CIs are often misunderstood or overlooked by policymakers and funders. The Alliance is committed to helping our members collect and share information about their CIs in order to facilitate spread, scale, continuous improvement, and advocacy. This is why we are launching a new tool that will enable our members to record this information directly in PS Suite. The new process was developed with input from Alliance members and has been designed to capture the most important information in a concise, usable way. We will be pilot-testing it with a small number of member organizations in the summer of 2025 and rolling it out to all CHC members who use PS Suite in mid-September. 

To help you prepare for these changes, we'll be releasing two custom forms and an updated user manual in early September and hosting a webinar on September 17. We will continue to facilitate implementation of the new process with a follow-up Q&A session on October 22 as well as ongoing support.

Details
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 12:00
12-1 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Event Type: 
Location
Webinar