CIPHI's Journal Environmental Health Review is now open-access!
Mike LeBlanc – ciphi

Author: Mike LeBlanc

2026 EHFC Awards and Bursaries Now Open!

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc
April 15, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

The Environmental Health Foundation of Canada (EHFC) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that the 2026 awards are now open!  Each year, the EHFC proudly recognizes outstanding individuals, organizations, and initiatives that demonstrate leadership, innovation and excellence in the field of Environmental Public Health. These awards celebrate the contributions that advance and promote Environmental Public Health in communities across Canada.

Detailed award descriptions can be found by going here.

A special thank you to our partners, and donors who make it possible to honor the contributions that inspire a collective commitment to excellence in the field of Environmental Public Health.

T. Duncan Ellison Safe Water Award sponsored by the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association
$500
This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the promotion of safe drinking water, wastewater
management, source water protection, and beach water monitoring. 

Clifford E. Van Alstyne Communication Award (supported by the EHFC)
$1,000
This award recognizes the commitment, involvement, or innovation in the field of environmental
public health, with a focus on communication in all its forms within the national environmental public
health community. 

Dr. R. Neil Lowry Safe Recreational Water Award sponsored by the Lowry Group 
$2,500
This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of safer and healthier
recreational water (pools, spas, and waterparks) in Canada to protect the public’s health in their
community. This could be through public health education and safety, innovative operational
guidance or technical programming.

Environmental Health Leadership Award sponsored by Hedgerow Software Ltd
$500
This award recognizes a PHI/EHO in any position who has consistently demonstrated outstanding
leadership qualities to inspire excellence and professional integrity in the field of Environmental
Public Health. This person has consistently demonstrated leadership qualities of trust, commitment,
and courage, and gives freely of themselves to coach, mentor and inspire others. They value and
actively promote a culture of respect, empathy, openness, and inclusion, while upholding these
values for themselves, their colleagues, and clients.

Lilli Ann Zahara Public Health Education Award (supported by the EHFC)
$500
This award is presented to a recipient who is recognized for displaying the highest level of
dedication, commitment, inspiration, and leadership in the field of environmental health, particularly
with a focus on food safety and/or public health education.

Food Safety Award sponsored by NSF
$1,000
This award is presented to a recipient who has made outstanding contributions primarily in the
promotion of food safety in Canada. The recipient displays the highest level of dedication,
commitment, inspiration, and leadership in the field of environmental health, with a focus on food
safety.

Award nominations close June 01, 2026.  APPLY NOW!

Student Bursary to Attend the CIPHI National Annual Educational Conference (AEC)
The 2026 Student Bursary to Attend the CIPHI National Annual Educational Conference (AEC) being hosted in St. John’s, Newfoundland, August 16-19, 2026 is now open!  This bursary is an exciting opportunity for students pursuing a career in environmental public health to engage with professionals, expand their knowledge and build connections in the field.

Applications close July 01, 2026.  APPLY NOW!

Continuing Education Bursary
The 2026 Continuing Education Bursary is available to CIPHI Members looking to pursue further education.

Applications close June 01, 2026.  APPLY NOW!

For additional information or questions please reach out to ehfcchair@gmail.com
 


Kind regards,


Lena Parker, BSc., BEH(AD), CPHI(C) 
Chair, Environmental Health Foundation of Canada / 
Fondation canadienne de l’hygiène du milieu 

The Charitable Division of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors / 
La division caritative de l’Institut canadien des inspecteurs en santé publique
www.EHFC.ca

Expressions of Interest for the National Vice-President Position

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

CIPHI REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
National Vice-President

In alignment with the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors National By-Law No. 2024-1, CIPHI is seeking Expressions of Interest for the National Vice-President position.

Position Responsibilities:

The National Vice-President is a National Director, shall serve as the vice-chair of the Board and may exercise the duties and powers of the National President when the National President is absent or unable to act. The National Vice-President shall also perform the duties prescribed by the Board or incident to the office and work in partnership with the CIPHI Board of Directors to advance CIPHI’s vision and directives. More details on the position can be found in National By-law No. 2024-1. For clarity, this position was formerly titled “National President-Elect” and has been updated to reflect the election process.

Qualifications:

● Be at least eighteen (18) years of age
● Be a Class B (Regular/Life/Retired) member of CIPHI, in good standing
● Not have the status of a bankrupt
● Not be a person who has been found under any applicable statute to be   incapable of managing property
● Not be a person who has been declared incapable by a court in Canada or elsewhere

Term of Appointment:

Election to this position will be held at the June 2026 CIPHI Annual Meeting (AM) of members. Upon election, the National Vice-President shall hold office for a two (2)-year term, that commences at the close of the 2026 AM and expires at the adjournment of the 2028 AM, or until the next National Vice-President is elected. It is intended that the outgoing National Vice-President shall be elected to the National President position.

Election Process:

Upon receipt of Expressions of Interest, the CIPHI Nomination Committee (made up of CIPHI Officers) will review each application for the skills, experience, and qualifications in alignment with the CIPHI mission and priority objectives, and may conduct interviews to gather additional information about applicants and their qualifications for the role. The CIPHI Board of Directors will vote to elect eligible candidates brought forward by the Nomination Committee at the June 2026 Annual Meeting.

Submission of Interest:

Please submit a written Expression of Interest outlining how you meet the above criteria (no more than 250 words) along with a recent resume/CV to elections@ciphi.ca. Expressions of Interest will be accepted until 16:00 CST on May 10, 2026. Late applications will not be considered.

CIPHI REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

National Director

In alignment with the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors National By-Law No. 2024-1, CIPHI is seeking Expressions of Interest for two (2) National Director positions.

Position Responsibilities:

Each National Director will be responsible for leading their assigned portfolio and working in partnership with the CIPHI Board of Directors to advance CIPHI’s vision and directives.

This call for Expressions of Interest is for a National Director to support one of the following portfolios:

1. Policy and Governance

2. Education

Qualifications:

● Be at least eighteen (18) years of age

● Be Class B (Regular/Life/Retired) member of CIPHI, in good standing

● Not have the status of a bankrupt

● Not be a person who has been found under any applicable statute to be    incapable of managing property

● Not be a person who has been declared incapable by a court in Canada or elsewhere

Term of Appointment:

The National Directors will be appointed for a two (2) year term. Directors are eligible to serve for consecutive terms.

Election Process:

Upon receipt of Expressions of Interest, the CIPHI Nomination Committee (made up of CIPHI Officers) will review each application for skills, experience, and qualifications aligned with the CIPHI mission and priority objectives, and may conduct interviews to gather additional information about applicants and their qualifications for the role. The CIPHI Board of Directors will vote to elect candidates brought forward by the Nomination Committee at a duly convened meeting.

Submission of Interest:

Please submit a written expression of interest outlining which portfolio you are interested in, how you meet the above criteria (no more than 250 words), along with a recent resume/CV to elections@ciphi.ca. Expressions will be accepted until 16:00 CST on May 1, 2026.

Late applications will not be considered.

CIPHI National Virtual Education Session

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

Thursday, April 23 12pm EST

Tracking & Forecasting Harmful Algal Blooms in Alberta
with
Rolf Vinebrooke, PhD ‘98, PDF ‘99
Professor, Faculty of Science – Biological Sciences, University of AB

REGISTER NOW


A mounting task in aquatic sciences is to better monitor harmful algal blooms (HABs). In Canada, satellite Earth Observation is used to meet this challenge in a few large lakes. Rolf will highlight our novel ground truthing of an algorithm for tracking HABs in Albertan lakes using Sentinel 2 and Landsat satellite-based data and confirmatory evidence from in-lake concentrations of chlorophyll and taxonomically diagnostic phytoplankton pigments. Calibration and validation of our model enabled testing for trends and discovery of within-lake sources of HABs using archival satellite imagery spanning a period of 6 years. Our approach also involves hindcasting and forecasting HABs in Albertan lakes to help provide valuable historical baseline conditions and future trends to the year 2100.




Rolf is an aquatic community ecologist and a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. Rolf leads a research team that focuses on how global change stressors—such as climate change, invasive species, and nutrient pollution—impact the biodiversity and health of freshwater ecosystems ranging from alpine to prairie lakes, ponds, and streams. Rolf first studied the ecological mechanisms of biological recovery in previously acidified boreal lakes (MSc’94, University of Toronto) before conducting doctoral research into the impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion and ultraviolet radiation on alpine lake food webs (PhD’98, University of Regina). Rolf’s postdoctoral research (PDF’99, University of Alberta) with David Schindler examined compensatory species dynamics in restoration of lakes at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario.

CIPHI 2026 National Award Nominations

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

Hello Everyone,

The National Annual Educational Conference is being held this year on August 16 to August 19, 2026. It’s time to acknowledge our colleagues who have shown their dedication to the profession and to CIPHI. If you know someone who is deserving of recognition for their tireless efforts in Public Health, nominate them now. The closing date for accepting nominations is May 17, 2026.

Be sure to get your nominations in before its too late. A nomination form is attached, but descriptions, details, and nomination forms for all the National Awards are also available at; https://ciphi.ca/membership/our-awards/

Alex Cross Award

This award is issued to a member for displaying the highest standards of professional practice during the past year.

Alexander Officer Award

This award is issued to an organization or agency for outstanding and meritorious achievements in the field of public or environmental health.

Environmental Health Review Award

This award is issued to a member, non-member, individual, or organization for excellence in presenting an environmental health issue or topic to the public.

President’s Award

This award is issued to a former member of the NEC, BOC, CoPE, or EHFC, who has demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to CIPHI while in office.

Honorary Membership Award

This award is issued to a person who is not eligible for regular, retired or life CIPHI membership, and recognizes outstanding support, contribution, or service to CIPHI or environmental public health professionals in Canada in general.

Life Membership Award

This award is issued to a CIPHI member for outstanding service to the institute, to their profession, and/or to their community over an extended period of time.

Recognition of 50-year members

Being a member of any organization for 50 years is not only an achievement but most certainly an important milestone to be recognized. Those who have done so with CIPHI not only express support for their profession but also show their dedication to the institute.

Recognizing the importance of these members and their contributions to CIPHI over the years is more than well deserved.

The Charlie Young Award (NEW Award)

This award is issued to a CIPHI member in good standing for outstanding commitment to and excellence in mentoring colleagues and students.

Please send nominations and supporting documents to the Awards Nomination Committee via the National Office:

Thank you

Theresa Reid, CPHI(C)
National Awards Committee Chair

CIPHI Awards Nomination Form

IFEH Environment and Health International

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

CIPHI is proud to be a member organization representing environmental public health professionals and the environmental health profession in Canada amongst partners worldwide.

The E&HI journal shares environmental health knowledge and perspectives from professionals around the world and welcomes submissions from practitioners and researchers.

In Volume 25, No. 1 (2025), CIPHI is highlighted in several articles, including: Introduction to the IFEH–Americas Group featuring CIPHI members Casey Neathway (Chair) and Kelsie Dale (Secretary), page 9

Discover the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, page 53

Read here:

https://online.fliphtml5.com/ssqxf/krfj/#p=1

Interested in submitting your work?

Learn more about current volumes and submission information here:

https://www.ifeh.org/publications.html

Enteric Outbreak Seminar Series – Save the Date!

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

The Public Health Agency of Canada is pleased to announce the next session of the Enteric Outbreak Seminar Series (EOSS). EOSS is brought to you by the Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases’ Outbreak Management Division. The Outbreak Management Division detects, assesses, and responds to multi-jurisdictional outbreaks of enteric illnesses in Canada and provides expertise, support, and training to public health authorities investigating enteric illness outbreaks.

EOSS aims to increase knowledge and awareness of enteric illness outbreak investigations in Canada, including novel approaches, research, special projects, and upcoming or recent changes in policy or practice.

Join us for a three-part seminar series exploring how we detect, investigate, and respond to multi-jurisdictional foodborne illness outbreaks in Canada. Learn how collaboration across federal, provincial, territorial, and international partners protects Canadians from foodborne outbreaks.

Note you must register for each session individually.

Session 1 – January 28, 2026 from 14:00-15:00 EST

Discover how the PulseNet Canada surveillance system and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) monitors laboratory and epidemiological data to identify potential outbreaks.
REGISTER FOR SESSION 1

Session 2 – February 18, 2026 from 14:00-15:00 EST

Learn how outbreak investigations are formally activated under the Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response Protocol (FIORP) and how PHAC works with partners across Canada to collect, analyze, and interpret data throughout the investigation.
REGISTER FOR SESSION 2

Session 3 – March 11, 2026 from 14:00-15:30 EST

Find out how Health Canada assesses evidence to determine the risk to the health of Canadians and how the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and PHAC implement control measures to protect public health. The session will conclude with how outbreaks are declared over and how lessons learned inform future prevention efforts.
REGISTER FOR SESSION 3

Please distribute this email widely to your colleagues and other interested parties!

Please expect confirmation of registration emails to be sent from the webinar series platform host, Audio Visual Services (Health Canada). Please direct technical questions to Audio Visual Services directly (audiovisualservices-visuels@hc-sc.gc.ca).

December 2025 Issue of the Environmental Health Review is Now Available

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc
Dear CIPHI members,
I am pleased to announce that the December issue of the Environmental Health Review is now available here.
In this issue, you will find:
– The Editors update
– A technical article on residential wood smoke
– An emerging issues article on traditional indigenous tattoo methods in Canada
– A research article on the core competencies for public health in Canada
– A spotlight on student research at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) 
– Nelson Fok’s research article summaries
I hope you enjoy the issue. 
As we approach the winter holiday season, I hope you will take time to spend with loved ones and reflect on the meaningful moments of the past year.
A note about access to articles: Free access to all articles in the EHR is included in your CIPHI membership. To get full access to articles, please go to: https://ciphi.ca/--> under professional development –> Environmental Health Review. 

Wishing you all the best,
Wendy Pons, PhD, CPHI(C)
Editor
Environmental Health Review

2025 Environmental Public Health Week Promotional Material

Posted on by Mike LeBlanc

The CIPHI Advocacy Committee is excited to share with members, employees and partners the various social media assets that have been created for Environmental Public Health Week (EPHW) which runs from September 22 -28, 2025. 

We have taken a spin on the theme chosen by the International Federation of Environmental Health which is “Clean Air, Healthy People” to focus on the various programs areas Environmental Public Health Professionals are involved in that contribute to healthy communities.

Click here to access the 2025 EPHW Promotional Material.

If you’re interested in co-branding your organization’s logo onto the EPHW poster, please visit this Canva page.