Manitoba's Joss Reimer is named Canada's new chief public health officer

Health Minister Marjorie Michel has announced that the face of Manitoba's pandemic immunization efforts, Dr. Joss Reimer, will be Canada's new chief public health officer.

In a social media post Friday, Michel said she looks forward to working with Reimer, whose "leadership, expertise and commitment to public health will be invaluable assets in protecting the health of Canadians."

Reimer, who will take up her new role on April 1, was the medical lead and spokesperson for Manitoba's COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Taskforce and served as the medical director of public health for Winnipeg.

Reimer has also served as the head of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), leaving her post in 2025.

Reimer said in an interview with CBC's As It Happens that Canadians are "intentionally bombarded" with misinformation and disinformation and that she's "excited to play a small role in providing Canadians with trusted evidence-based information."

She said part of that role is to ensure Canadians know that information from the Public Health Agency of Canada has "their best interest at heart."

"It's important that all of us at all levels in health or health care are sharing the same message," she said.

A biography on the CMA website says she has expertise in "immunizations, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections and harm reduction." 

Reimer worked at the University of Manitoba for nine years. As the undergraduate director of population health, she developed and led the university's four-year population health course.

"I want to take a lot of time to listen and understand the concerns and the challenges that are happening across the country," she said.

During her time as CMA president, Reimer issued an apology to Indigenous people across Canada for the CMA's role in ongoing racism in health care.

"This is going to be something we need to work on every single day and make sure that we are taking steps towards reconciliation," she told As it Happens on Friday.

Reimer said she wants to hear from "people who bring that expertise about Indigenous health, Indigenous culture, Indigenous resilience" and let them "lead the way we move things forward."

Canada currently has an interim chief public health officer, Dr. Howard Njoo. He took over the role following Dr. Theresa Tam, who led Canada's pandemic response.