About the Porcupine Health Unit

Health is more than just not being sick. And it’s more than just doctors and hospitals. As a community, we can all do things to improve our own health and the health of those around us. The Porcupine Health Unit has been helping people from Timmins to Moosonee and from Hearst to Matheson do that for over 75 years. We help through a variety of relevant and accessible programs and services. Over 120 staff in nine different offices deliver these programs and services. They include dental hygienists, dietitians, inspectors, public health nurses, health promoters and outreach workers. Whether we do it through our own work or working with our many partners throughout the area, we’re here to help.

The Porcupine Health Unit is a public health unit serving Cochrane District and the Town of Hornepayne in Ontario, Canada. Our head office is located in Timmins, Ontario. There are eight branch offices located throughout the district of Cochrane and in Hornepayne in the district of Algoma.

Our Mission

Strengthening opportunities for healthy living within healthy communities. (Porcupine Health Unit Mission Statement, 2018)

The Board of Health

The Province of Ontario has 34 boards of health, one for each health unit. The Porcupine Health Unit’s Board of Health is made up of members from each of our communities. Most of them are elected members from municipal councils. These municipal governments, along with a variety of federal and provincial ministries, provide the funding for the health unit’s activities.