Q&A: Who is Nova Scotia's next chief medical officer of health? Dr. Jesse Kancir on vaccinations and health priorities

Starting in January, Dr. Jesse Kancir will be Nova Scotia’s next chief medical officer of health, responsible for advising the provincial government and the population on issues of public health.

Kancir has been the deputy chief medical officer of health since March 2025 and will be replacing Dr. Robert Strang who has held the position for 27 years.

After the Wednesday announcement, Kancir discussed his top priorities in the role, his thoughts on vaccination numbers and how he will deal with possible backlash as the face of public health in Nova Scotia.

Q: What are your biggest priorities as you step into this role?

DR. JESSE KANCIR: “The first priority of any chief medical officer of health (CMOH) is making sure that Nova Scotians are protected from public health hazards that are around them constantly, and so the biggest example we may think of is something like a pandemic. Now they’re infrequent, but we live in a world where there’s lots of these little infectious disease outbreaks or notifiable disease events, and a CMOH is responsible for making sure that our public health system is operating and responding to them appropriately, so that’s always duty number one, right?

“Most of the work you do in public health is never done in isolation, and so we work in partnership with most of our initiatives. You’re working with university departments, you’re working with other government leaders, you’re working with community to roll out programs. It is something where you are constantly building relationships, and we’ve been lucky to have Dr. Strang, who has been in this position for decades, and his relationships run deep. And to go through that transition is going to be a switch, not just for our department, but for a lot of Nova Scotians who are trying to do good work to help the province. So, a second priority is going to be building those relationships and getting to know people and making sure that we’re still present.

“The other priorities are conversations to have with government. An important part of this as well is that we are a partner to the Department of Health and Wellness and to the minister and to the deputy minister, and we don’t get to set all the priorities for where government wants to go. We give the best advice based in science and based in medicine, and then have to execute some of it. So, we will have those conversations on priorities and see what 2027 brings.”

Q: You’ve worked alongside Dr. Strang for over a year as deputy medical officer of health, and now, you’re stepping into his role. How will your strategies follow his or differ from his?

KANCIR: “It’s an interesting question because every CMOH will bring a personality and a leadership style to the role, and I think one of the most important things is that anyone who is taking on this position is authentic, and part of that will be speaking style or way of connecting to people. But one of the things that I’ve learned from (Strang) that I think is going to carry through is the kindness that he brings into the role that I’ve really learned to admire. And just being able to show up and share advice with the population, but to still bring the attitude of a physician: that you’re empathic and you’re listening, and you’re not just putting in place your technical advice or saying that things need to be a certain way, but to be explaining why a certain decision has been made. But I think that empathy is critical, and that’s something that I’ve seen (Strang) do well. He’s also an incredible strategist. He’s really thoughtful and strategic and pragmatic, and it’s certainly been masterclasses in leadership for me. And so, I hope I bring some of that to the role. We’ll let people judge and see how leadership styles are different.

“But certainly, one of the things that I love about being in Nova Scotia is that it is a place that fosters very close relationships, and so it is not just about strategy or politics or being the smartest person in the room. It’s about being able to hold relationships with very many different people, and I think for me that is something that’s based in authentic interactions. I think it’s an exciting place to work. I keep looking at this province and I just see the promise of a lot of growth. And so again, I’m very open to building relationships with lots of people and looking forward to that part of the job.”

Q: Last week, the flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines became available, but statistics show that on average, normally only one third of Nova Scotians will get their flu vaccines. Do you have any concerns over vaccine use and how to get that up?

KANCIR: “As deputy CMOH, I do a lot of work with the immunization portfolio. I will say that the numbers are lower than we’d like. I’d love for more Nova Scotians to get vaccinated. The more people we have vaccinated with something like the flu or COVID-19 vaccine, the more we know we’re going to see a decrease in our hospitalizations, and people who end up potentially dying from these infections. So, of course, I’d love to see higher numbers. I will say that I’ve been really impressed working in Nova Scotia at the amount of uptake. I think our uptake last year for the flu vaccine was the second best in the country, and so Nova Scotians are showing up at higher rates than most other Canadians to get this done.

“I think one of the things we have found in the past few years is that post-pandemic, people don’t have that same urgency. We’re not in a public health emergency. We’re not mandated. No one is being forced to do this, and so there might be less pressure to get immunizations. Sometimes I like to remind people that we go through this, some call it ‘sick season’ but it’s also a massive health event. It’s not a tiny thing for our hospital system, and it really does take a toll on our emergency departments, our primary care providers. So, rolling up the sleeve for the vaccine is a significant prevention event. An immunization campaign only really works if we do it together, and so it truly is a public health event that takes a bit of time for people to get done, and so I always encourage people to do it.

“We do well in this province, even if it’s not everyone. I think that also reflects maybe getting back to the theme and the trust that people have had in public health through the pandemic, and we owe that to someone like (Strang) who was able to convince people that you know it really was in their best interest to be doing this, and so we’re hoping to again see that that great turnout this year.”

Q: Earlier this year Strang spoke up about health risks around unregulated cannabis shops and the risks of youths being exposed to cannabis. Do you share those same sentiments on trying to regulate cannabis sales?

KANCIR: “Right now, (Strang) is still the CMOH, and I’m happy to be working in the department as the deputy under him. And it’s a topic that we have a position from the CMOH, and that’s the approach that we’re taking with the department. I wouldn’t have a comment on policy that’s different around that really until January, we wouldn’t have an independent or separate position than what (Strang) would have on policy.”

Q: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw Strang face a lot of negativity, including physical and online harassment at times. How are you preparing to take on this very public leadership position?

KANCIR: “Part of what we’ve seen with Dr. Strang over the past few years has been the celebration of a well-managed pandemic. But we have to remind ourselves that that’s not the complete response, right? There have been times when it has been the opposite. It’s been a criticism of that, and I think you handle it in a few ways. First off, one is to recognize that the role of a CMOH is a communicator, and it’s a conversation back and forth. And so, as much as that CMOH is trying to communicate advice and information and reassurance to the public, we also expect something back, and that might be criticism. It might be confidence. It might be people showing up for vaccines. But whatever it is, it’s an expected and important part of the conversation that you have as a CMOH and so, part of it is just normalizing that. It’s welcome. In fact, I think it helps us calibrate responses if we get it wrong sometimes. And so not something you shy away from.

“The second part is that the role of the CMOH is a very privileged one. You do become the face and voice for public health, and with the good is also the bad. But it is an important role to take, where you are protecting your teams. One of the most important things that I find reassuring for this position is that even if (Strang) is leaving, the team that was behind him is here. And there are hundreds of people who work in public health across this province, and they’re still here.

“I think it’s a duty and a privilege to stand up and get the good and the bad from it, and it’s part of the expectation for the role, and it’s not something you shy away from. It’s certainly not for everybody, but knowing that the communications that we give are based in the best information that we have, that we’re basing them in science, and they’re coming from a place of care and compassion for the community, it makes it easier to deliver news that might be difficult.”

Q: And finally, who is Dr. Jesse Kancir behind the public leadership role?

KANCIR: “So, I moved here about five years ago directly from the Yukon. I’d been living on the West Coast for a few years in British Columbia doing my training and am originally from Ontario. And so, I’ve had a chance to live across Canada, and Nova Scotia seems to be the place where all the things I want out of life have come together.

“I like to get out and explore Nova Scotia or go for walks, and I think it’s one of the nicest places I’ve ever been in Canada. I think the coastline is absolutely gorgeous. I am also a big reader and live fairly close to one of the big libraries downtown and spend a lot of time trying to read through different fiction and literature. I also love good food, and we’re really privileged to have an above average dining scene in Nova Scotia. I love getting out, sitting down with folks and having a conversation over a good meal. We should be very proud of the cultural scene that we have here in Nova Scotia as well. I find that I’ve got everything I need for a good quality of life, and it’s been just a wonderful place to call home, and I’m glad that I get to call it home for the foreseeable future.”