Quebec Region

Our Operational Principle

We, employees of Health Canada , are proud to be part of an organization where respect, creativity, innovation and knowledge are the foundation of a commitment to provide an accessible, reliable, professional and attentive service.

Portrait of the Quebec Region

• Our Region
• Our Organizational Structure
• Our Regional Director General
• Our Employees
• Our Offices
• Our Partners
• Our Activities
• Our Publications

Our Region

We serve a region that extends over 1.6 million square kilometres and has 7.5 million inhabitants, 82.5% of whom are Francophones, 11% Anglophones and 6.5% allophones. About fifty percent of the population live in metropolitan areas and suburbs. Quebec has the largest rural population in the country.

Approximately sixty eight thousand (68 000) members of First Nations communities and 10 000 Inuit live in Quebec where there are 55 Aboriginal communities and 14 Inuit nations. About 21 000 First Nations members and Inuit live off-reserve.

• Map of Québec Region

Our Organizational Structure

The internal structure of Health Canada - Quebec Region, with its corporate services and its programs, enables it to carry out the Department's mandate successfully and to better deliver the various programs, services, products and advice aimed at protecting and improving the health of Canadians.

The corporate services, which include human resources management, management of material, facilities and buildings, administration and finance, information management, informatics and communications, are the essential services that ensure the continuity and quality of the programs offered to the public.

The main programs of the Quebec regional office are:

• First Nations and Inuit Health
• Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety
• Health Products and Food
• Pest Management Regulatory Agency

Our Regional Director General

The Regional Director General, Marie-France Bérard, is Health Canada 's principal representative in the Quebec Region. She is responsible for the delivery, horizontal coordination and cohesion of all programs provided by Health Canada - Quebec Region. The Regional Director General ensures liaison between the Region and the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Public Affairs, Consultation and Regions Branch and brings forward the regional and provincial perspective on Quebec-related health issues. She is a member of the Departmental Executive Committee.

She presides over the Regional Executive Committee (REC) and works with its members to achieve Health Canada's mission and vision and to promote excellence in program and service delivery in Quebec. The Regional Director General represents Health Canada's interests when contributing to interdepartmental activities, particularly with respect to the priorities of the Quebec Federal Council (QFC). She promotes lasting relationships with representatives and with other provincial partners in the area of health.

Our Employees

Health Canada - Quebec Region has approximately 400 employees to carry out the Department's mission. They include chemists, biologists, inspectors (for such things as product safety, health products such as drugs and medical devices, tobacco and pesticides), program advisors, physicians, nurses, microbiologists, policy analysts, communications advisors, human resources advisors and other.

As employees of the Public Service of Canada, we all participate, directly or indirectly, in the delivery of a multitude of services, products and advice to the Canadian public in order to help maintain and improve their health.

Our Offices

Health Canada - Quebec Region has offices in Montréal, Longueuil and Québec. We conduct analysis and research activities in our laboratory building in Longueuil.

Our Partners

Health Canada is one of the two federal health portfolio organizations in Quebec. The other is the Public Health Agency of Canada.

• Public Health Agency of Canada

We work in collaboration with other federal departments, Quebec's ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the First Nations and Inuit communities, community organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, research institutes and volunteer groups to implement programs and services that reflect regional and local characteristics.

Our Activities

In collaboration with our partners, we implement programs and services aimed at the non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal population of the First Nations and Inuit communities of Quebec. We fund community projects, perform laboratory analysis and research functions, and evaluate compliance of many products with the regulatory standards for which Health Canada is responsible. We contribute to policy analysis and development, enforce the Canada Health Act and co-ordinate intergovernmental affairs in the region. Finally, we disseminate information on a multitude of health-related subjects.

Our Publications

• Information within your reach - Quebec Region
• Health Canada - Quebec Region
• Health Products and Food (HPF) Quebec Region
• First Nations and Inuit Health (FNIH) Quebec Region
• Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety (HECS) Quebec Region
• Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Quebec Region

First Nations and Inuit Health

The First Nations and Inuit Health (FNIH) program supports the delivery of public health and health promotion services on reserve and in Inuit communities. It also provides drug, dental and ancillary health services to First Nations and Inuit people regardless of residence. The program also provides primary health care services on reserve in remote and isolated areas, where there are no provincial services readily available. In the Quebec Region, we offer support to 30 health institutions for First Nations communities, including 5 addiction treatment centres. The communities have assumed management of many of these institutions.

To reach the First Nations and Inuit Health program in Quebec, please dial 514-283-4774 or 1-877-483-1575.

Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety

The Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety program helps Canadians maintain and improve their health by promoting healthy living, fostering healthy and safe working and recreational environments, and by reducing the harm caused by tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, environmental contaminants and unsafe consumer and industrial products. In the region, this work is carried out through five program areas:

• Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
• Drug Analysis Service
• Product Safety Programme
• Safe Environments Programme
• Tobacco Control Programme

To reach the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety program in Quebec, please dial 450-646-1353 or 1-800-561-3350.

Health Products and Food

In Quebec, the Food Directorate of the Health Products and Food (HPF) program develops safety standards and policies for food with its partners in other federal departments like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, other levels of government and stakeholders. The directorate also conducts chemical research and analysis on selected food products.

Inspectors and analysts from HPF's Inspectorate work on drugs, blood, and tissues such as those used in fertility and reproductive clinics, as well as medical devices and other therapeutic products, to make sure they are safe.

Using chemical, microbiological and physical procedures, the scientists at Health Canada's laboratory in Longueuil also determine whether or not these drugs and medical products do what their manufacturers claim they do.

The Office of Consumer and Public Involvement of the HPF also has a regional public involvement and outreach officer, who co-ordinates activities for the Quebec Region. This officer provides stakeholders in Quebec, particularly consumers of the products we regulate, with information and opportunities to participate significantly in HPF decision-making processes with respect to priorities, policies and programs.

For more information, visit the Therapeutic Products Directorate and the Food Directorate of the Health Products and Food Branch .

To reach the Health Products and Food program in Quebec, please dial 450-928-4345.

Pest Management Regulatory Agency

Health Canada 's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) carries out inspection activities throughout Quebec in collaboration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Our programs are aimed at verifying compliance with the Pest Control Products Act. Our clientele includes the agro-chemical and agro-allied industries, as well as pesticide dealers and users. Among our main provincial partners are Quebec's ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs and ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation.

To reach the Pest Management Regulatory Agency in Quebec, please dial 514-283-7306.

Public Health Agency of Canada

In Quebec , the focus of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), formerly the Population and Public Health Branch, is on community-based programs, including grants and contribution programs. It works with local and provincial non-government organizations as well as with other governments to tackle issues that affect the health of Canadians. These include healthy child development, disease, alcohol, and drugs as well as nutrition and physical activity.

The Public Health Agency of Canada also plays a major role in Emergency Preparedness working closely with federal, provincial and local partners.

One of the two Guelph laboratory units specializing in foodborne zoonoses is located in Saint-Hyacinthe. This unit managed by the PHAC provides opportunities for collaborative projects with universities, government agencies and public health and industry partners.

Public Health Agency of Canada manages the following programs and services offered in the Quebec region:

• Community Action for Children
• Prenatal Nutrition
• Aboriginal Head Start Off Reserve
• Community Action on Aids
• Hepatitis C Prevention and Support
• Prevention and Promotion Contributions to the Canadian Diabetes Strategy
• Population Health Fund
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

For more information on the Public Health Agency of Canada, please visit the Public Health Agency of Canada Web site.

For more information about the Quebec Region, contact us directly.