TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT MEMORANDUM
MEETING DATE: April 20, 2026
TO: Committee of the Whole
FROM: Barbara Desjardins, Mayor; Andrea Boardman, Councillor
SUBJECT: Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Care Playbook Discussion, Staff Report No. DEV-25-055
INFORMATION:
Purpose:
Staff Report No. DEV‑25‑055 presented at the January 19, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, outlined an option for the Committee to review the recommendations contained in the 2019-2025 Esquimalt’s Health Journey and the Community Healthcare System Support Playbook (Attachment 4), identify the actions they wished to advance, and recommend these to Council, with staff subsequently preparing an impact assessment of the proposed actions for Council’s future consideration.
At the same meeting, Council further directed staff “to provide administrative support for the creation of a select committee to support improving Esquimalt primary care, co‑chaired by Mayor Desjardins and Councillor Boardman, with the scope of work and composition to come back for Council consideration.”
The co‑chairs have completed a comprehensive analysis of Recommendations 1-33, identifying priority areas, redundancies, and jurisdictional considerations based on the Health Journey Study, the 2019 and 2026 Needs Assessments, and the Community Healthcare System Support Playbook.
Before establishing a Select Committee, the Committee of the Whole is asked to review this assessment and determine whether such a body would add strategic value at this stage. A Select Committee may be beneficial if Council wishes to create a formal mechanism for sustained oversight, interagency engagement, or ongoing policy development related to primary care.
Background:
1. Community Health Context
The 2019-2025 Esquimalt Health Journey Study and Community Health Needs Assessment highlight major system gaps:
• A shortage of family physicians resulting in 4,000-7,000 unattached residents seeking care in Esquimalt.
• Increasing emergency department usage for conditions that could be addressed in primary care (high ACSC rate).
• Mental health burden is significantly higher than BC averages, with limited local services.
• Significant growth of seniors (expected to rise to 30% of the population by 2040).
• Barriers to ageing in place, including inadequate accessibility and limited supportive housing.
2. Municipal Role
While healthcare delivery is a provincial responsibility, municipalities play a crucial role in factors that influence recruitment and retention, such as housing, accessibility, childcare, transportation, and clinic space availability, as emphasized in the Community Healthcare System Support Playbook.
During the current council term, Mayor Desjardins and Councillor Boardman have made significant efforts to document and understand the current state of health services in Esquimalt and make connections with health care providers and regional funders. These efforts have included:
• In person tours of local Island Health facilities including - Esquimalt UPCC & Esquimalt Health Unit;
• The development of an Esquimalt Health Services Matrix that documents existing health-related services and identifies service gaps;
• Participation in the Primary Care Network Steering Committee - Mayor Desjardins;
• Participation in the Community Advisory Group - Councillor Boardman;
• The development of functional and effective relationships with Health Connect Registry (HCR) leadership, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit service providers; and
• Periodic monitoring of the HCR numbers as they relate to Esquimalt Residents, as well as the collaboration with the HCR team to provide education and support HCR registration at local events (example Farmer’s Market).
ANALYSIS
Strategic Analysis of Recommendations
The co-chairs reviewed and documented all 33 recommendations from the Community Health Needs Assessment 2025 (Pepler report) and the Community Healthcare System Support Playbook (Attachment 2). Overlap was noted within and between these reports and as such a consolidated list was created (Attachment 3).
Consolidated items have been organized into four strategic groupings:
1. Quick Wins - Staff to determine if, how and when they can complete these tasks
2. For Future Consideration - timing dependent on outcome of April 20th COTW discussion.
3. Completed and Ongoing items
4. Out of Scope/Duplication - these items include tasks more appropriate for other levels of government and tasks that would require significant funding requests
FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Does Council wish to establish a Select Health Care Committee at this time (as per the Council motion) with the intent to begin work on all recommendations?
2. Does Council wish staff to complete the ‘Quick Win’ items now when possible and recommend that the creation of a Select Health Care Committee be included as an opportunity in next term’s Councils Priority Setting Workshop?
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
1. Co-Chair Presentation
2. Summary of 33 Recommendations
3. Consolidated list of Recommendations
4. Staff Report DEV-25-055, CHNA 2025, and Playbook included as one document.
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