Dr. Blair Bigham Honoured with 2026 Agnes Macphail Award in Toronto
Blair Bigham Agnes Macphail Award 2026 recognizes leadership in health care and advocacy
The City of Toronto has named Dr. Blair Bigham as the recipient of the 2026 Agnes Macphail Award, recognizing his contributions to health care, journalism and community advocacy.
Dr. Bigham was presented with the award during a ceremony led by Mayor Olivia Chow, celebrating a career that spans front-line emergency medicine, public health research and investigative journalism.
Recognizing Leadership in Health and Advocacy
The Agnes Macphail Award, established in 1994, honours individuals in Toronto’s former borough of East York who demonstrate exceptional commitment to social justice, equality and community engagement—values championed by Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons.
City officials highlighted Dr. Bigham’s unique combination of clinical expertise and public advocacy, particularly his work addressing health inequities affecting underserved communities.
As one of Canada’s first paramedic scientists, Dr. Bigham has focused on the impact of health disparities in lower-income populations. He also served as a helicopter paramedic, providing care to communities with limited access to health services.
Emergency care physician, health equity advocate, and investigative journalist Dr. Blair Bigham receives 2026 Agnes Macphail Award
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— City of Toronto 🇨🇦 (@cityoftoronto) March 23, 2026
Career Bridging Medicine and Journalism
In addition to his medical career, Dr. Bigham has made significant contributions to investigative journalism. After completing a journalism fellowship at the Munk School and intensive care training at Stanford University, he joined the Investigative Journalism Bureau as a senior editor.
His reporting has examined critical issues within Canada’s health-care system, including inequities in care, gender-based violence and labour disputes such as the nurses’ strike at Michael Garron Hospital.
Dr. Bigham currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Toronto Metropolitan University. He also continues to practise as an intensivist and emergency physician across Toronto, including within the Scarborough Health Network and at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
City Leaders Praise Impact
Mayor Olivia Chow commended Dr. Bigham’s commitment to community-focused care and public communication.
“Dr. Blair Bigham is an example of true leadership in the healthcare space. His esteemed career has spanned many different areas of health care and communication, but what has remained consistent is his commitment to community-rooted service.”
Local councillors also emphasized his role in advancing awareness of systemic issues in health care and advocating for vulnerable populations.
Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin noted his work exposing inequities and supporting patients, while Councillor Brad Bradford highlighted his impact on science communication and long-term community benefit. Councillor Paula Fletcher added that his efforts reflect the spirit of Agnes Macphail’s legacy of advocacy and social progress.
Honouring a Legacy of Community Service
Accepting the award, Dr. Bigham acknowledged the broader role of journalism and advocacy in driving change.
“It’s truly an honour to be recognized with the Agnes MacPhail award… [it] validates my own efforts to make our city and planet more just through deeply researched reporting.”
The award underscores the importance of cross-disciplinary leadership in addressing complex social challenges, particularly in areas such as health equity and public awareness.
With this recognition, Dr. Bigham joins a group of community leaders whose work continues to shape Toronto’s social and civic landscape.
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