June 29, 2015
An individual and an organization that have made outstanding contributions toward protecting and promoting the health of Toronto's residents were honoured today as recipients of the 2015 Public Health Champion Awards. The awards were presented to Floydeen Charles-Fridal and the Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services agency at today's meeting of the Toronto Board of Health.
The award was established in 2008 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Public Health in Toronto.
"The Public Health Champion Awards recognize and celebrate the exceptional efforts of individuals and organizations whose work has a positive and lasting impact on the health of our city," said Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21 St. Paul's), Chair of the Board of Health. "This year's recipients are to be commended for their outstanding contributions to public health that will be felt for years to come."
Charles-Fridal has shown exceptional leadership through her work with Rexdale Community Health Centre and as President of the Board of Directors at TAIBU Community Health Centre. She helped develop of many of TAIBU's innovative programs, including its dental and oral health, sickle cell, diabetes education and peer nutrition programs. Her efforts have improved access to health services for many of the city's residents.
Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services has been a dedicated champion of community health for over 20 years. Supporting new residents and racialized communities in Toronto, Access Alliance has been instrumental in establishing a medical clinic to provide health care services to these under-served populations. The organization has also been a key partner in collaborations with other service agencies, community organizations and research institutions, with the goal of increasing dialogue and engagement around the issue of accessible health care and services.
Since 2008, the Public Health Champion Awards have been recognizing individuals and organizations for their leadership in reducing health inequalities, fostering collaboration to improve the health of the population, building community capacity through innovative health promotion strategies and acting as a catalyst for positive change.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contact: Keisha Mair, Toronto Public Health, 416-338-8020, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
