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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 27, 2014 | 6 Halton's MOH retiring after many years -- and memories by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Spotlight "Connected to your Community" F rom SARS in 2003, swine u in 2009, the arrival of West Nile Virus in 2002 to defending the value of needle exchange programs, relentlessly pushing for the chlorination of Milton's water, leading the charge against smoking in public places, and recognizing obesity as a major health risk to the young -- Dr. Bob Nosal has always been at the forefront. As Halton Region's Medical Of cer of Health (MOH), Nosal has been there for the region's residents -- speaking up and speaking out for public health. Not always popular, often controversial, Nosal has championed public health and put Halton's health department, and the region, on the leading edge. Now after 25 years as Halton's MOH, Nosal is calling it quits. In typical fashion, the 60-year-old Ancaster resident con rmed his impending retirement in a Tuesday interview with the Oakville Beaver . He said he wants to retire before his `best-before date'. "Working at the Region and serving the residents of Halton, I've been living the dream... I especially want to acknowledge my staff here. They are fabulous. They are knowledgeable. They are passionate. They are dedicated and what little I have been able to accomplish is totally as a result of all of their efforts. I've loved the job," said Nosal, all-too-modestly. "He has been a tireless advocate and public health champion for the residents of Halton. Bob's opinion has always been one council could trust and rely on. We will miss his sound knowledge and judgment, as he always served the residents of Halton well," said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. "All of us at Halton will miss Bob greatly. His leadership in public health has created one of the most effective and innovative health units and paramedic services in Ontario," said Jane MacCaskill, Halton Region's Chief Administrative Of cer. "Dr. Nosal is well-respected in the community, by Regional council, and by his staff and colleagues," said Carr. "But even more importantly, Bob is respected by all his staff and colleagues at Halton and across the Province," said MacCaskill. The married father of two sons, aged 28 and 25, and a daughter, aged 22, graduated from Queen's University in 1978 bound for a career in family practice. He worked at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital and then did `locums' or short-term posts in areas with shortages of family doctors. The doctor worked on Native reserves in Moose Factory and Sioux Lookout and then in a small town called Kirkland. The well-spoken, professional and passionate Nosal came to Halton in 1989 as associate MOH and stepped in as MOH in 1991. As such, he was responsible for the strategic leadership and management of Halton's Health Department, which includes community health, health protection, paramedic services, chronic disease prevention and oral health, epidemiology and public health administration. The MOH advises Regional council on strategic, public health issues and develops long-range plans to ensure Halton effectively meets service and program requirements. In doing that job, Nosal said his career has had many highlights. A memorable one involved bringing forward recommendations aimed at reducing the rate of teens smoking. Working at the Region and serving the residents of Halton, I've been living the dream... I especially want to acknowledge my staff here at Halton Region. They are fabulous. They are knowledgeable. They are passionate. They are dedicated and what little I have been able to accomplish is totally as a result of all of their efforts. Halton Region Medical Of cer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal Dr. Bob Nosal is retiring after nearly 25 years as Halton Region's Medical Of cer of Health (MOH). He has been at the forefront of public health issues in Halton and beyond. | photo courtesy of Halton Region The doctor said, when he arrived in Halton in 1989, the teen smoking rate was at 28 per cent. Nosal's recommendations -- which included stronger restrictions on where smoking would be allowed -- were not well-received by many at the time. Times, though, have changed and Nosal said the provincial government ultimately adopted many of his recommendations as it moved to support bans of smoking in public places. The doctor said the latest gures show the smoking rate for youths aged 12-17 in Halton has dropped to six per cent. "That is phenomenal," enthused Nosal. "Do you know the amount of disease and illness and injury and death that is going to be avoided just because of that particular decrease?" In 1997, Nosal essentially ordered the chlorination of Milton's well-based water supply. He said even though water conditions in Milton were monitored, he saw the situation as an accident waiting to happen. One concern, Nosal said, was that it took 24 hours to get the results of water quality testing. It meant there was a window for harmful bacteria to do some very real damage to people before the bacteria could be detected and the public warned. Even so, the move to chlorination was controversial with many opposed to any kind of additives in the water supply. "I didn't get too many Christmas cards from Milton people that year," said Nosal, wryly. "It's probably a defence mechanism to forget nasty public meetings or public meetings where you are sworn at or yelled at or had things thrown at you. There were some exciting meetings there, but I had a job to do, and it had to be done." The MOH noted that three years following the start of chlorination of Milton's water, the Walkerton, Ont. tragedy took place in which seven people died and 2,300 people became ill after E.coli contaminated the water supply in that town. After that, the MOH said, legislation was passed requiring the chlorination of drinking water sources in Ontario. Other highlights for Nosal included coordinating the Region's response to H1N1 In uenza (swine u) in 2009, West Nile Virus in 2002 and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003. During the SARS outbreak, Nosal stepped into the spotlight provincially, updating the public on new cases and working weekend after weekend to ensure people got the appropriate information so they would know how to protect themselves from the illness. Nosal also weighed in consistently on Oakville's recurring cell tower debate -- stating there is no convincing evidence weak radiofrequency signals from cell towers cause adverse health effects, but acknowledging the agreement between Health Canada, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer that additional research is warranted. Nosal has been a leader in health promotion, public health surveillance, air quality and environmental protection, and in the development of a top paramedic service and community-based mental health clinic, according to a Halton Region press release. It appears he will carry that forward. While the retiring MOH plans to do camping, riding and hiking with his wife, Sandra, and train to participate in a 10-km run with his daughter, Leah, he hinted at plans to volunteer in the eld of public health, assisting those living in poverty. In between, he may manage some reading or a golf game or two. "It has been not only a great place to work, but a great community to work in," said Nosal. "The residents have just been wonderful. There are just so many nice people throughout the four communities in Halton that I have been able to meet over the years." Nosal retires effective March 21 and a search for his replacement is on. Nosal expects the new MOH will start in May or June. He noted with a municipal election and regional strategic plan on the horizon, and strong succession planning thriving within Halton's health department, now is a good time for change. NEIL OLIVER Vice­President and Group Publisher DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Halton Region Editor in Chief Volume 52 | Number 25 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON (905) 845-3824 Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. 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