Dr. Charles Gardner, MD, CCFP, MHSc, FRCPC

Dr. Gardner has been the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit since 2005, after having served as MOH with the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit for seven years. Prior to that, he worked in general medical practice in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Zimbabwe.

Dr. Gardner is the current chair of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health (COMOH), a role he held in the past as well. In addition to his past and current role in COMOH, he was the president of the Association for Local Public Health Agencies, president of the Ontario Council for Community Health Accreditation, a member of the Ontario Public Health Leadership Council, and co-chair of the Healthy Environments Both Natural and Built Table for the Ontario Public Health Sector Strategic Plan. 

Most recently Dr. Gardner was a member of the Ontario Tobacco Control System Committee and of the Modernization of the Smoke Free Ontario Strategy Executive Steering Committee, and is a member of the Smoke-Free Ontario Scientific Advisory Group, the Ontario Tobacco Research Network and a board member of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. 

Dr. Gardner is active personally and professionally on the promotion of health through green, compact, complete, walkable and cycleable communities.