September 23, 2026
The Honourable David McGuinty
Minister of National Defence, Government of Canada
david.mcguinty@parl.gc.ca
The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Public Safety, Government of Canada
gary.anand@parl.gc.ca
Dear Honourable Ministers,
RE: Endorsement of Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ Letter, “Protecting Canadians from Biological and Cybersecurity Risks: An Opportunity to Collaborate with Local Public Health” – June 24, 2026
On behalf of the Board of Health for Lakelands Public Health (LPH), we are writing to formally communicate our endorsement of Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ recommendation (enclosed) on to opportunities to collaborate with local public health when it comes to protecting Canadians from biological and cybersecurity risks.
The LPH Board recognizes that collaborative emergency preparedness and response is essential, as threats continue to increase in complexity and scale, including threats related to cybersecurity. This aligns well with the Government of Canada’s whole-of-society model for continued investment in cybersecurity.
Local public health agencies play a critical role in protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies. Local public health is a trusted source of information and is often called upon to provide technical expertise, coordinate health and community partners, communicate risk, and support some of the most vulnerable residents in our communities. There is an opportunity to strengthen Canada’s resilience by explicitly recognizing the role of local public health agencies within existing critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and biological preparedness frameworks.
More than ever, public health agencies are reliant on digital technologies to maintain and secure sensitive personal health information and to support the delivery of public health programs and services. Disruptions resulting from emergencies or cybersecurity incidents can have detrimental impacts on community health. Interruptions can disrupt access to information, communications, operational systems, and access to laboratory services and results, often when these are needed the most. These impacts have consequences that extend beyond local boundaries.
LPH is committed to strengthening local public health resilience and doing so is also in the interest of broader national defence. The LPH Board fully endorses Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ request that local public health be:
- included as a contributor to biodefence capabilities in federal defence and security planning;
- explicitly designated as critical infrastructure; and,
- eligible for federal cybersecurity funding streams.
Based on our own experience with a cybersecurity incident earlier in 2026, we have firsthand knowledge and understanding of the organizational and community impacts this type of disruption causes. Learning from this event, we are continuously exploring opportunities to strengthen preparedness and response to emerging threats, and building the local-federal connection is a key opportunity for growth and advancement in this landscape.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
Deputy Mayor Ron Black
Chair, Board of Health
/ag
Encl.: PHSD Letter, June 24, 2026
cc: Local MPs and MPPs
Ontario Boards of Health
The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health
The Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board
Dr. Joss Reimer, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada
The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Ontario
The Honourable Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Ontario
Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario
Dr. Kate Bingham, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario
Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa)
Shared Services Canada
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security