Anishnawbe Health Toronto

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Condolences to the family and friends of Joe Hester

Joe Hester
On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Management Team, the Staff of Anishnawbe Health Toronto, and the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, we extend our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Joe Hester, Executive Director of Anishnawbe Health Toronto, who are all grieving the loss of this visionary leader on whose shoulders we all stand. Joe Hester dedicated his life to the pursuit of Indigenous sovereignty over health care for the urban Indigenous community. He led Anishnawbe Health Toronto from its early origins to what we know today, building and sustaining a gold standard of care to a population that has consistently been underserved by the health care system. He worked from the mantra that “No one will be left behind”, centering Traditional Healing to promote Indigenous ways of knowing and being. His success at blending Traditional and Western medicine has been groundbreaking, curating Indigenous resurgence that has resonated across the health sector and the urban Indigenous community here in Toronto. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members access Traditional Healers at AHT to address chronic disease and to heal Spirit from the ongoing colonial policies that have created the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous mortality.
For over 23 years, Joe Hester worked on the development of an Indigenous Hub, in Toronto’s Canary District. The new home of Anishnawbe Health Toronto is a 4-story building that was completed in 2024 and is a symbol of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit presence in Toronto. In addition, Joe’s vision of a site for Indigenous care in perpetuity includes Miziwe Biik an Indigenous employment and training agency, as well as housing and retail space. His strategic planning to bring this from a vision to a reality was his life’s work and will be his lasting legacy. His passion and commitment to creating health care services for the Indigenous community led by traditional practices and teachings will be our guiding light today and for generations to come.