05/11/2026
Anishnawbe Health Toronto appoints Executive Director
Following a rigorous search process over the past months, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Michael Milward has been appointed as Anishnawbe Health Toronto’s Executive Director. Milward has been serving as Interim Executive Director since September 9, 2024.
“It was important to the Board that we undertake a thorough search process to ensure that we are appointing the best candidate to lead the organization forward,” explained Marian Jacko, Chair of the Board of Directors of Anishnawbe Health Toronto. “We were fortunate to have a number of highly skilled and experienced leaders apply for this position, including over half who identified as Indigenous. After a detailed interview and selection process, Michael was the unanimous choice of the Committee, and the Board unanimously voted in favour of the appointment.”
The Search Committee noted in particular that Michael leads with empathy and is able to approach and manage conflict with curiosity, compassion, and care. He also demonstrates integrity and accountability.
“Michael is a leader who is highly relatable, approachable, and trusted. He relates and has deep experience working with youth, he has lived experience as a Cree man, and he has sought advice and counsel from Elders throughout his life. He is confident in who he is and is very comfortable sharing all aspects of his life, even the more challenging lived experiences he has had to manage with,” offered Stephen Scott, past chair of the Anishnawbe Health Foundation and a member of the Search Committee.
Milward brings over 12 years of progressive health sector management experience. He joined Anishnawbe Health Toronto in 2021, chosen by Joe Hester Baa to serve as Director of Special Projects, then as Director of Programs & Services. “It is with humility that I must acknowledge much of my professional and personal growth is attributed to Joe Hester’s mentorship. Stepping into this role, I feel a deep sense of responsibility. I am honoured to be the steward of AHT’s vital mission and vision, and to serve the community that relies on us.”
Prior to joining Anishnawbe Health Toronto, Milward worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, initially as the Manager, Medical Services for the Office of the Physician-in-Chief, and later as Manager, Provincial Initiatives for Shkaabe Makwa. Shkaabe Makwa at CAMH is the first Indigenous-led hospital-based Centre in Canada established to improve the health and wellbeing of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across Ontario by advancing wholistic models of mental health and wellness care that are rooted in traditional healing practices.
Rennie Linklater, Senior Director of Shkaabe Makwa at CAMH commented “In the years I have known Michael, he has demonstrated an incredible capacity to understand health organizations and support strong teams to deliver culturally safe services. As an Indigenous health leader, Michael is keenly aware of the complex health issues impacting our peoples and communities and I’m confident that Anishnawbe Health Toronto will continue to flourish with his leadership,”
Earlier, Milward had a career in pensions and retirement savings services, and in education, coordinating a post-secondary bridging program for Indigenous Youth at the University of British Columbia.
Milward is a member of Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation near Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. He takes strong ownership in his Indigenous lived experience, and this motivates him to help Indigenous people achieve improved quality of life, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Milward is an also active community leader and volunteer. He currently serves as the Indigenous Lead for the Primary Care Network in Scarborough, and as a Council Member for Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC). Previously he served on the Board of Directors of South Riversdale Community Health Centre in Toronto.
“Achieving better outcomes for Indigenous people in the GTA requires more than just conversation. It requires true partnership. By working together with Indigenous communities and partners, we can create meaningful, lasting change. I look forward to partnering with the Anishnawbe Health Foundation to turn this commitment into real action.”
Moving forward, Milward is excited about initiatives and projects that are outlined in Anishnawbe Health Toronto’s Strategic Plan, such as the development of an urban Indigenous Long-term Care Home, expansion of Interprofessional Primary Care Teams to increase the attachment of Indigenous clients to primary care providers, and the implementation of the Osh-ka-be-Wis Foundational Knowledge Training Program.
About Anishnawbe Health Toronto
For over 30 years Anishnawbe Health Toronto has been the only provider of Western medical services combined with traditional healing services within a multi-disciplinary healthcare model. The vision of the late Elder, Joe Sylvester, our Indigenous-led, accredited Community Health Centre is the model for other Indigenous community health centres and health access centres across Ontario. Late Executive Director, Joe Hester, desired Indigenous sovereignty over Indigenous healthcare. His leadership brought forth the new health centre located at 425 Cherry Street.
Today, Anishnawbe Health Toronto sees over 30,000 client visits annually, with nearly 20% of clients under the age of 21. Our model of health care is based on Traditional practices and approaches and is reflected in the design of the 60+ programs and services that we offer to people at all stages of life, from newborns to seniors.
Anishnawbe Health Toronto continues to grow to meet the needs of the community it serves, offering access to healthcare practitioners from many disciplines including Traditional Healers, Elders and Medicine People. Ceremonial and traditional healing, intrinsic to the Indigenous health care model, are available. Our work with the homeless has evolved from early directions of crisis intervention to our current efforts of working with those who seek to escape homelessness. Training programs offer community members the opportunity to learn and grow in a culture-based setting.
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For more information, please contact Anishnawbe Health Toronto at 416 360-0486, or by email at [email protected].
