Advocacy activities

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As the independent national voice for public health in Canada, CPHA continues to advocate for evidence-informed policies that promote health equity and protect the well-being of all people in Canada. Below is a summary of our recent advocacy activities.

April 2026

CPHA endorsed the Arthritis Action Plan, a national, collaborative strategy to transform arthritis prevention, care, and research in Canada, emphasizing improved access to care, strengthened research and innovation, and greater awareness of arthritis as a significant public health issue.

March 2026

CPHA warned that Alberta’s planned closure of supervised consumption services would lead to preventable deaths, increased strain on emergency and health systems, and a weakened response to the toxic drug crisis, and called on the provincial government to halt the decision and strengthen evidence-based supports.
CPHA expressed serious concern over Ontario’s decision to defund supervised consumption services, warning that removing these evidence-based interventions would increase overdose deaths, strain health systems, and undermine a comprehensive response to the toxic drug crisis.
CPHA urged Senators to support and advance Bill S-202, arguing that mandatory alcohol warning labels—including cancer risk and standard drink information—are a straightforward, evidence-based measure to improve public awareness and enable informed health decisions.
CPHA joined the Global Coalition for WHO Action on Firearm Violence to support coordinated, evidence-informed global action that addresses firearm violence as a public health issue and advances policies to prevent injury, death, and harm.

February 2026

CPHA endorsed the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s Best Practice Guideline on addressing anti-Black racism in nursing, highlighting its role in advancing equity, strengthening health systems, and supporting meaningful, evidence-informed action to confront structural racism within the health workforce.
CPHA welcomed the appointment of Dr. Joss Reimer as Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, noting the significant and complex public health challenges ahead and emphasizing the need for sustained investment in public health systems, workforce, and governance.
CPHA joined more than 100 organizations and experts in calling on federal parliamentarians to remove sweeping “Henry VIII” exemption powers from Bill C-15, warning that they would undermine the rule of law, democratic accountability, and protections for public health and the environment.
CPHA joined eight other national health organizations in urging the federal government to finalize and publish regulations restricting e-cigarette flavours, citing strong evidence of youth harm and the urgent need for consistent, nationwide protections against nicotine addiction.

January 2026

CPHA marked National Non-Smoking Week 2026 by highlighting progress in reducing tobacco use while warning that industry-driven narratives around “harm reduction” risk misleading the public and undermining evidence-based public health efforts, and called for renewed focus on cessation support and protection of population health.
CPHA supported a multi-organization open letter led by MediaSmarts calling on the federal government to develop a coordinated national digital media literacy strategy, emphasizing its importance in countering misinformation, strengthening critical thinking, and protecting democratic engagement.
CPHA raised concern about recent changes to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule, warning that weakening evidence-based vaccine guidance risks increasing hesitancy, eroding public trust, and undermining protection against vaccine-preventable diseases in Canada.

2025

December

Timely Implementation of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labelling Regulations: CPHA joined other national health organizations in urging the federal government to uphold its commitment to implement front-of-package nutrition labelling regulations by 1 January 2026.
Opposition to Québec’s Bill 7: CPHA supports the Association pour la santé publique du Québec in opposing legislation that would dismantle the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.

November

Renewed Canadian Leadership in Global Health: CPHA has launched an open letter to the Government of Canada urging a continued, full commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Federal interoperability legislation: CPHA joined the Renew 72 Campaign calling for the re-introduction of federal interoperability legislation (formerly Bill C-72).
Protect the Confidentiality of Tri-Council Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Data: CPHA expressed its deep concern regarding a motion adopted by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research that compels Canada’s three federal research funding agencies to release disaggregated data from all grant applications submitted between 2020 and 2025.
2025 Climate and Health Policy Priorities for Canada: CPHA called on the federal government to take immediate, coordinated action to protect health in the face of intensifying climate impacts.
Closure of the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre Consumption and Treatment Services Site: CPHA joined the HIV Legal Network and the Registered Nurses Associaiton of Ontario in to call for a reversal of the decision to close this site.

October

Urgent need to appoint a Chief Public Health Officer of Canada: CPHA wrote to the Minister of Health supporting the expedited apointment of a permanent Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.
Bill S-202 – An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning labels on alcoholic beverages): CPHA supported warning labels on alcoholic beverages during an appearance before the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
Public Health and Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: CPHA expressed its grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

August

Misrepresentation of Crime Data: CPHA condemned the Government of Ontario for misleading the public about crime rates near Ottawa’s Somerset Street supervised consumption site to justify its closure.
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health: CPHA urged the Government of Canada to amend the alcohol consumption guidance on Health Canada’s website to reflect Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, developed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Support for Canada’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard: CPHA wrote to the Minister of Health expressing our strong support for Canada’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard and the regulated targets for zero-emission vehicles

June

Reassignment of Public Health Nurses in New Brunswick: CPHA warns that plans to reassign 90% of public health nurses to hospitals and replace them in community settings with licensed practical nurses will critically weaken public health infrastructure, undermining prevention, immunization, disease control, and equity-focused services.
Alcohol Sales in Nova Scotia: CPHA opposes the proposed expansion of alcohol sales, citing evidence that increased alcohol access leads to higher consumption, hospitalizations, and alcohol-related deaths—especially in youth and people who face structural disadvantage. Nova Scotia currently sees over 570 alcohol-related deaths and more than 44,000 hospital and emergency department visits annually.

May

Ontario Bill 5: CPHA and the Ontario Public Health Association expressed profound concern over Ontario’s proposed Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025, which poses significant risks to public health, environmental protection, and Indigenous rights across the province.
Alberta Bill 55: CPHA and the Alberta Public Health Association expressed concern about Alberta’s Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Bill 55) that further consolidates control over public health under the direct authority of the provincial government.

April

A Coherent Approach to the Regulation of Psychoactive Substances: CPHA’s director of policy authored a commentary published by Policy Options entitled A “moonshot” at regulating psychoactive substances for public-health benefits.

March

2025 Federal Election Factsheets: With the launch of the federal election, CPHA released a series of 15 factsheets outlining key public health priorities for the next government.

February

Defending fair trade: We issued a statement opposing the U.S. tariffs on Canadian products, highlighting the potential health and economic impacts.
Protecting public health policy: CPHA was granted intervenor status in the legal challenge to Ontario’s Bill 212, which could have significant implications for public health governance.
Speaking out against involuntary addictions treatment: We expressed deep concerns about Alberta’s proposed amendments to its Mental Health Act, which could expand involuntary treatment without sufficient safeguards.

January

Addressing the toxic drug crisis: We published a new position statement, Public Health Approaches to the Toxic Drug Crisis, calling for evidence-based policies to save lives.
Defending evidence-based decision-making: We protested the politicization of Alberta’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force report, emphasizing the need for public health to remain grounded in science and transparency.
Support for Diverse Realities of Gender Identity: CPHA supported the Government of Canada stance against policies, like the recent U.S. executive order, that erase the diverse realities of gender identity.
Support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: In response to growing political backlash in both the United States and Canada, CPHA reaffirmed its commitment to initiatives that uplift structurally disadvantaged communities, challenge systemic barriers, and ensure everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
Countering Mis- and Dis-information: CPHA stressed the importance of combating misinformation by amplifying trusted, evidence-based sources.
Climate Action: CPHA emphasized the strong connection between climate solutions and healthier communities. Reducing pollution and mitigating climate-related health risks through cleaner energy transitions benefit everyone, particularly future generations.
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): CPHA called for a comprehensive approach to address IPV, including prevention programs, accessible support services, and policies that address systemic inequities.