PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESSAuthor(s): Kenneth BensonSource: Canadian Journal of Public Health / Revue Canadienne de Sante'e Publique, Vol. 68, No.4 (JULY/AUGUST 1977), pp. 273-275Published by: Canadian Public Health AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41987593 .

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Editorial

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Kenneth Benson , President , CP H A

I am proud that, at this particular time, we have representation from all Provinces and the Territories.

Je suis fier qu'à ce moment-ci toutes les Provinces, ainsi que les Territories sont représentées ici. Bienvenue à tous.

Yesterday at the Council Meeting of the Canadian Public Health Associa- tion, Mr. Dafoe reported on the wide range of activities of your Association during the past year. At this moment, I would like to refer briefly to a few highlights. 1. Firstly, as of June 16 of this year,

more members had renewed their subscriptions than by the same date last year, while in addition, the total

The Presidential Address, delivered at the 68th Annual CPHA Conference, Vancouver, B.C., on June 28, 1977.

of new members had also increased by approximately 500. As the life blood of the Association, this membership increase is most imperative.

2. For the first time in 5 years, the Association finds itself in a stable financial position. It is our intention to continue building our financial reserves through any means available so that the Association can, in the future, involve the membership in many activities not possible in recent years due to cash shortage, and also assist the Provincial Branches in their activities. Again, I would stress that it is vital for survival of the National Body that the Branches prosper. In addition, preliminary discussions are being held on the possibility of setting up a Canadian Public Health Association Research Funding Program.

3. In the publishing field, the latest effort revolves around the Canadian Public Health Association Health Digest. The reaction across the country on the appearance of the Health Digest can best be summed up by a letter directed to the National Office by the Honourable Marc Lalonde and I quote the first paragraph:

"I am very pleased to learn that the Health Digest will be published in both official languages as a supplement to the well-known Canadian Journal of Public Health. Although the latter has reached the level of a scientific journal of unquestionable reputa-

tion, it is no doubt true that the majority of the members of any Association are interested also in an informative newspaper such as the Digest. The Health Digest, as I read it, will appeal to all health workers interested in health and social services in Canada and in other countries." So wrote Marc Lalonde.

One of the future thrusts of our Association in the publishing field will be an effort to accommodate the need for resource material in the health and social services in Canada.

4. Since our last Annual Meeting in Moncton, the Canadian Public Health Association has been involved in the implementation of 12 major studies and projects. Among the highlights, the most recent is a Study of Fitness and Lifestyle among Canadian workers - a first in Canada; also the more familiar Health Activities Summer Employ- ment Program for Students (HASEPS) with 480 students em- ployed in 194 separate projects at a cost of over one million dollars; and the Arsenic Study in Yellow- knife recently completed with the interim report well received. We must give full marks to Dr. Cort Mac- kenzie and his committee members, Ed Tupper and Sandy Sutherland for a job well done. Presently under discussion is a request by the De- partment of Health, Newfoundland, for a study of the environmental

Canadian Journal of Public Health Vol. 68, July/ August 1977 273



situation in Long Harbour in that Province.

5. Just as the Mayor of Vancouver described Dr. Bonham's expansion- ist activities in the City Health Department, equally your Associa- tion is not limiting itself to one country but has become involved on the international scene. The World Federation of Public Health Associations has agreed to hold their 2nd International Congress in Hali- fax in May 1978. The Congress will be hosted by the Canadian Public Health Association and the theme will be "Primary Health Care - a Global Perspective". So much for the activities of the

Association, and now a few comments that are rather more personal and philosophical in nature.

During the past year, I have travelled widely and had a chance to meet and chat with many of you. Perhaps two things impressed me most forcibly.

Firstly, the dedication and imagination of those of you who are members of the Provincial Branch Organizations of the Canadian Public Health Associa- tion. To you I would say, remember the words of Robert Louis Stevenson "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive and the true reward is to labour".

Secondly, more of you are needed. The Canadian Public Health Associa- tion cannot survive on contracts, projects, studies and publishing alone. Among the proposed objectives of your

x Association in the final report of the Committee for the Review of Organiza- tional Structure (chaired by Dr. Stuart Smith) is a need to act on behalf of "a wide range of health disciplines, other health-oriented groups and individuals . . . ". Again, a recognition of the multi- disciplinary nature '¡of your Association to include the Voluntary Health Agencies as it offers a wide umbrella support to all community health workers.

Another proposed objective is "to establish and review standards for health disciplines" and I would add, for programs and services also, which leads me to mention an initiative taken recently by Dr. Maureen Law, Director

General, Health Consultants, Depart- ment of National Health and Welfare, to conduct a review of public health practice across Canada. In turn, this will permit the development of guidelines and standards which ultimately may lead to a system of accreditation of Health Departments and Health Units. This initiative is fully supported by your Association and stemmed from discussions held at the Federal Provincial Advisory Committee on Community Health.

What about the question of credibility? To act as the conscience of society in matters affecting health, those who practise in public health must have credibility. If the people of Canada are going to accept and act on the advice of our Association, they must believe in it and have confidence in it, just as they must in our public health nurse or public health inspector or medical offi- cer of health in their day-to-day activities. Such credibility is dependent on a level of performance, which in turn, can only be guaranteed by the provision of adequate guidelines and standards.

Many members of the Association are anxious to promote an advocacy role for the Association and there is a need to "take a position" on occasion. The position taken must be credible and this means a balanced "advocacy". The Greeks, in that glorious 300-year span of Greek civilisation, realised that one of the greatest qualities of the human character was this gift of balance and it is as true today as it was in their time that credibility can only be maintained by exercising balance. Crucial issues confront society and in the recent past we have experienced problems with the flu vaccination program; we are plagued by doubts about saccharin; nutrition standards appear to en- courage as many differing opinions as there are so-called experts in a variety of fields; the Association was able to dampen the arsenic controversy in Yellowknife; the question of fluorida- tion continues to haunt us; trace ele- ments appear everywhere; in our own backyard here in British Columbia, controversy rages (as Premier Bennett mentioned this morning) about the use

of 2-4D in the Okanagan Lake system to control milfoil; and what about the future of Connaught Laboratories?; where does the Native Indian find his new lifestyle?; how far do we go in interfering with lifestyles (perhaps this question will be answered by the de- baters in the first session); is it not time that we stated emphatically that public health inspectors cannot possibly func- tion effectively outside of a Health Department?; finally, we who are en- gaged in prevention are threatened by the fear of having our preventive activities swamped by the increased load which we must accept in the area of treatment services. Who can deny that as community health workers we must be involved in Home Care, and if in Home Care, in all levels of Care? Surely this is ultimately prevention at its earliest. Still we must seek to protect our traditional preventive activities since we all know that who we are, where we live, and how we live will have far more effect on our health in the long run than all the pills and potions made available through the treatment end of the health care delivery spectrum.

However, there are indications that the Association is achieving greater visibility and at the same time gaining increased credibility. This must be true when we can have Premier Bennett with us for breakfast, the Honourable Marc Lalonde for lunch and the Honourable Bob McClelland, Minister of Health for B.C., for supper tomorrow night. Add to this the post-prandial delights of such notables as Robert Bonner, Mary Southin, Peter Banks, Harry Rankin, and last but by no means least, Jack Webster, all of whom will follow shortly.

If we are not yet Miss Jean Brodie's "The Crème de la Crème", I believe that we are entering our Prime (as was she in the play of that name) and what better place to do so than here in the Queen Elizabeth Playhouse.

Yesterday your Council approved the final report of the Committee appointed to Review the Organizational Structure of the Canadian Public Health Association.

274 Canadian Journal of Public Health Vol. 68



Reorganization, Ladies and Gentle- men, is now a reality and will proceed.

From this reorganizational base and from the stage of the Queen Elizabeth

Playhouse, I would parody the words of William Shakespeare . . .

"I believe that we - we members of the Canadian Public Health

Association - may strut and fret our hours upon the stage but - we will be heard some more".

ALLOCUTION PRESIDENTIELLE*

Je suis très fier de voir que pour la première fois toutes les provinces et tous les Territoires se trouvent officiellement représentés. Bienvenue à tous.

Hier, lors de la réunion du Conseil de l'Association canadienne d'Hygiène publique, M. Dafoe a présenté un rapport circonstancié sur les nombreuses activités de votre Association au cours de l'année qui vient de s'écouler. Je me contenterai donc d'évoquer quelques points saillants. 1. Tout d'abord, en date du 16 juin

de cette année, plus de membres avaient renouvelé leurs cotisations que l'année dernière à la même date. En outre le nombre total de nou- veaux membres s'est accrû d'environ 500. Comme il s'agit là de l'élément vital de l'Association, cette crois- sance est absolument indispensable.

2. Pour la première fois en 5 ans, l'Association se retrouve dans une situation financière stable. Nous avons bien l'intention de renforcer nos réserves par tous les moyens dis- ponibles de façon à ce que l'Associa- tion puisse à l'avenir impliquer les membres dans de nombreuses activités qui n'étaient pas accessibles par le passé faute de fonds. Des réserves accrues devraient nous per- mettre également de venir en aide aux directions provinciales. Une fois de plus je tiens à souligner qu'il est indispensable pour la simple survie de l'organisme national que les directions prospèrent. En outre, des discussions préliminaires ont lieu à propos de l'institution d'un Pro- gramme de Fondation de Recherche de l'Association canadienne d'Hygiène publique.

3. Dans le domaine des publications,

♦Prononcée lors de la 68e conférence annuelle de l'ACHP à Vancouver, C.B., le 28 juin 1977.

les derniers efforts ont été carac- térisés par l'avènement de Sélection Santé AC H P. La réaction à travers le pays, dés l'apparition du premier numéro, se résume fort bien dans la lettre que l'Honorable Marc Lalonde a adressé au bureau central. Je ne cite que le premier para- graphe: "Je suis particulièrement heureux d'apprendre qu'il s'agit d'une pub- lication bilingue qui vient compléter cette revue bien connue qu'est la Revue canadienne de Santé publique. Même si cette dernière a atteint un statut incontestable de revue scientifique, il ne fait pas de doute que la majorité des membres de n'importe quelle association sont intéressés à recevoir un journal d'information comme Sélection Santé. D'après moi, Sélection Santé devrait susciter l'intérêt de tous les travailleurs de la santé qui ont à coeur les problèmes sociaux et les questions de santé, qu'ils soient au Canada ou dans d'autres pays." Ce sont là les mots mêmes de Marc Lalonde.

L'un des axes à l'avenir dans le domaine des publications de l'ACHP sera défini en fonction des besoins en données de base sur la santé et les services sociaux au Canada.

4. Depuis notre dernière assemblée annuelle de Moncton, l'Association canadienne d'Hygiène publique a été impliquée dans la mise en marche de 12 projets et études d'importance. Parmi les plus importants, il faut mentionner l'Étude sur l'Aptitude physique et le mode de vie des travailleurs Canadiens - c'est une première au Canada. Il faut une fois de plus citer le programme d'Em- plois d'été pour étudiants dans le domaine des activités de santé, qui

regroupe 480 étudiants attelés à 194 projets différents pour plus d'un million de dollars. La première étape de l'étude sur l'Arsenic à Yellow- knife vient de se terminer et le rapport intérimaire a été bien accueilli. Nous devons féliciter le docteur Court Mackenzie et les membres de son comité, Ed Tupper et Sandy Sutherland pour un excellent travail. Il est question pour l'instant d'une étude à la demande du ministère de la Santé de Terre-Neuve sur la situation du milieu à Long Harbour, dans cette province.

5. Tout comme le Maire de Vancouver a décrit les activités expansionnistes du département de santé de la ville, de même, votre Association ne s'est pas limitée à un pays mais s'est impliquée à l'échelle internationale. La Fédération mondiale des Asso- ciations de Santé publique a accepté de tenir son deuxième Congrès international à Halifax en mai 1978. Le Congrès sera organisé par l'Asso- ciation canadienne d'Hygiène publique. Le thème: "Soins de Santé primaire - une perspective globale". En voilà assez pour les activités de

l'Association. Laissez-moi maintenant vous faire part de quelques commen- taires plus personnels et plus philoso- phiques.

Au cours de l'année qui vient de s'écouler j'ai beaucoup voyagé et j'ai eu la chance de parler à beaucoup d'entre vous. Je crois que deux aspects m'ont surtout impressionné.

Premièrement, on ne peut passer sous silence le dévouement et l'imagination de ceux parmi vous qui êtes membres de l'organisation d'une direction générale provinciale de l'Association canadienne d'Hygiène publique. Je voudrais simplement vous rappeler les quelques mots de Robert Louis Stevenson:

July/ August 1977 275



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PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS