Canada’s health-care system faces multiple challenges—from workforce shortages and access barriers to changing models of care. Four decades after the Canada Health Act became law, many experts are asking whether it’s time for a rethink.  

This thought-provoking conversation with U of T experts Sara Allin and Gregory Marchildon is inspired by U of T Magazine’s recent Big Country, Big Ideas feature, examining bold ideas for Canada’s future.  

Bring your questions and join a timely conversation about one of Canada's most important public policy issues.  

Can’t join us live? Register to receive the event recording and watch after the event.  

About the Speakers 

Sara Allin is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto 

Sara is also Director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO), a collaborative partnership and research centre focussed on sub-national and international health systems research to support evidence-informed policy making. Her research and teaching span comparative health systems and policies, health system performance and health equity. 

As Director of the NAO, Sara leads a program of research that includes both rapid reviews in response to pressing health policy questions by local and international decision-makers and health sector stakeholders, and longer-term in-depth studies of health systems structures and reforms. She uses comparative methods, including qualitative case studies and quantitative analyses of survey and administrative data, and applies these to health policy questions within and across Canada, and in comparison with other high-income countries.

Gregory P. Marchildon is a Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto and Founding Director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO).

A scholar-practitioner, he has extensive experience in establishing and working in national and international research and policy networks. His research focusses on the history of public policy, with a particular emphasis on comparative health systems and policies and universal health coverage. His most recent book is Tommy Douglas and the Quest for Medicare in Canada published by the University of Toronto Press in 2025. 

Greg has worked in three professions in his lifetime: lawyer (criminal prosecution and defense); academic (London School of Economics, Johns Hopkins University, University of Regina, and University of Toronto); and public servant (Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy Minister to the Premier and Cabinet Secretary in the province of Saskatchewan as well as Executive Director of the national Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada). He has also done consulting for governments and international organizations on cabinet systems and decision-making, public policy capacity building and health system restructuring. Greg is a member of the Order of Canada and a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research in 2022. 

Moderated by: 

Ishani Nath is the author of the U of T Magazine article “Update the Canada Health Act” and serves as Communications Officer at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto.

Ishani holds a Master of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and has more than a decade of experience reporting on health, culture, and lifestyle for Canadian and international audiences. Her work has appeared in major publications including Chatelaine, The Globe and Mail, and Maclean's, and she has also been featured as a culture commentator on CBC News and CBC Radio. In her current role at DLSPH, she draws on her journalism expertise to showcase the research, achievements, and impact of the school's faculty, students, and researchers.

About University of Toronto Magazine 

For 50 years, University of Toronto Magazine has been sharing inspiring stories about the people, ideas and events that make the university a global leader in teaching, research and innovation. 

Available online and in print, the magazine is published twice a year and all U of T graduates receive a complimentary subscription. In each issue, you’ll find stories that dig into U of T’s rich history and the latest advances in research, shine a light on the diverse communities of our St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough campuses and celebrate the indelible contributions that U of T alumni are making in Canada and around the world. 

If you’re enjoying your subscription, please consider a donation to help advance U of T’s mission to educate, inform and discover. Every cent of your contribution, will be receipted for income-tax purposes, and go entirely towards the magazine.