CHAP. 102. TITLE XV. OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH. the CHAPTER 102. OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH. Short title. 1. This chapter may be cited as "The Public Health Act." 2. In this Chapter unless the context otherwise requires Interpretation. expressions hereinafter mentioned shall have and include the following meanings : (a) "The board" means the Provincial Board of Health for the province of Nova Scotia ; (b) "Board." "Local board" means the board of health appointed « Local Board.” under the provisions of this Chapter for any district. (c) "District" means any city, incorporated town, poll- District." ing district, union of polling districts, or other area over which a local board exercises jurisdiction; "Owner." (d) "House" includes schools, factories and other "House." (f) "Street" includes every highway, road, square, PROVINCIAL BOARD OF HEALTH. "Street of Provincial 3. There shall be a Board of Health for the province of Establishment Nova Scotia, which shall consist of the Provincial Secretary, Board of Health. the Attorney-General, the Commissioner of Public Works and Mines, the Medical Superintendent of the Nova CHAP. 102, Scotia Hospital, the Superintendent of the Victoria General Hospital, and four duly registered medical practitioners, to be appointed by the Governor-in-Council, and to hold office during pleasure. The board shall be a body corporate, under the name of the Provincial Board of Health. 1893, c. 12, s. 1. Chairman. Secretary. Meetings. Quorum. Travelling expenses. Rules and by-laws. Powers and duties of board. 4. The Provincial Secretary shall be president of the board, and in his absence the Attorney-General or the Commissioner of Public Works and Mines shall act as president. 1893, c. 12, s. 3. 5. The Governor-in-Council may appoint one of the members of the board to be secretary thereof, who shall hold office during pleasure, and shall be the chief health officer of the province. 1893, c. 12, s. 4. 1898, c. 18, s. 2. 6. The board shall meet whenever notified so to do by the president of the board. Five members, including the president or acting president, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. 1898, c. 18, s. 3. ซ. Members of the board who are not residents of the city of Halifax or the town of Dartmouth shall be entitled to receive from the provincial treasury their actual travelling and other necessary expenses while attending meetings. of the board. 1893, c. 12, s. 5. 8. The board shall have power to make rules and bylaws for the transaction of its business, and may appoint committees, to whom it may delegate authority and power for the work committed to them. 1893, c. 12, s. 8. 9 The board shall take cognizance of all matters in respect to life and health among the people of the province, and in the performance of that duty it shall, (a) make a special study of such vital statistics of the province as are available, and endeavor to make an intelligent and profitable use of record of deaths and of sickness among the people; (b) make sanitary investigations and inquiries respect ing causes of disease, and especially of epidemics; the causes of mortality, and the effects of localities, employments, conditions, habits, and other circumstances, upon the health of the people; (c) make such suggestions as to the prevention of contagious and infectious diseases as it deems most effective and proper, and calculated to prevent and limit as far as possible the rise and spread of disease; (d) inquire into the measures from time to time taken CHAP. 102. by local boards for the limitation of any dangerous contagious or infectious disease, under powers conferred upon such local boards by this Chapter, or any Act of the legislature of this province, and if it appears that no efficient measures are being taken, the board shall require the local board to exercise any of the said powers which, in the opinion of the board, the urgency of the case demands; and if the local board, after request by the board, neglects or refuses to exercise its powers, the board may exercise and enforce, at the expense of the municipality or district, according as the liability may be, any power of the local board which under the circumstances it deems necessary; literature. (e) advise when required, or when it deems proper, officers of the government and local boards as to the public health and the means to be adopted to secure the same, and as to the location, drainage, water supply, disposal of excreta, heating and ventilation of any public building. 1893, c. 12, s. 9. 10. The board shall, from time to time, and especially Distribution of during the prevalence in any part of the province of epidemic, endemic or contagious disease, make distribution through the newspapers, and by circular to local boards and health officers, city, town and municipal councils, and in and through the public schools, and otherwise, of such sanitary literature and special practical information relating to the prevention and spread of contagious and infectious diseases as it deems necessary in the interests of the public health. 1893, c. 12, s. 10. 11. The board may send its secretary, or any member Investigating or members of the board, to any part of the province, when committee. deemed necessary, to investigate the causes of any unusual mortality or of any contagious or other disease; and at such investigation evidence may be taken, on oath or otherwise, as the said secretary, member or members deem expedient; and the secretary, or any member of the board present at the investigation, may administer the oath; and the person or persons conducting such investigation may, by warrant under the hand and seal of any one of them, call upon any person to give evidence regarding any matter in question in the investigation; and shall have all the powers which may be conferred upon commissioners under the provisions of CHAP. 102, the Chapter entitled, "Of inquiries concerning public matters.' 1893, c. 12, s. 11. Sanitary regulations. 12. The board may from time to time make sanitary regulations for the prevention of infectious and contagious diseases, for the relief of persons suffering therefrom, and for the burial of persons who have died thereof, and such May be enforced orders may be enforced by penalties therein expressed, not to exceed four hundred dollars for any one offence. Such regulations shall be published in the Royal Gazette, and the production of any copy of the Royal Gazette containing any such regulation shall be prima facie evidence of the making, date and contents thereof. 1888, c. 9, s. 1. by penalty. Provisions of sanitary regulations. 13. The board may by such sanitary regulations provide: (a) For the frequent and effectual cleansing of the streets, yards and outhouses by the local health authorities, or by the owners or occupiers of adjoining houses and tenements adjoining thereto, or by the local health authorities; (b) For the removal of nuisances; (c) For cleansing, purifying, ventilating and disinfecting (g) For preventing or mitigating such epidemic, endemic (h) For securing the enforcement of this Chapter by local boards. 1888, c. 9, s. 2. LOCAL BOARDS. СНАР. 102. Halifax. 14-(1.) In the city of Halifax the city health board Local boards. shall be the local board of health. towns. (2.) In every incorporated town the town council shall Incorporated be the board of health. The mayor shall be the chairman and the town clerk shall be the clerk of the board. (3.) In every municipality one board of health for each Municipalities. polling district shall be appointed by the municipal council at the annual meeting. The councillor for each polling district shall be chairman of the board for such district. Two or more polling districts may be united under one board of health if it appears to the satisfaction of the council that the purposes of this Chapter may be carried out thereby. The councillors for such districts shall be members of the board, and the council shall designate one of them to act as chairman. If the councillor or senior councillor of the district resides outside the polling district or is absent, the warden and two councillors may appoint any ratepayer of such polling district chairman. Vacancies in any such board shall be filled by the municipal council by which the board was appointed. appointed. 1888, c. 9, s. 3. Council may in default of 15. In case any municipal council does not appoint such Governor-in local board the Governor-in-Council may appoint the same, appoint board but any local board appointed by the Governor-in-Council appointment by shall cease to exist upon the appointment by the municipal council. council of a local board for the same district. 1888, c. 9, s. 4. less than five. 16. The local boards in municipalities shall consist of Local board not not less than five persons, including the chairman. 17. A majority of the members of any regularly con- Quorum. stituted local board shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. 1888, c. 9, s. 12. 18. A minute book shall be kept in which the proceed- Minutes. ings at the meetings of the local board shall be recorded. 1888, c. 9, s. 13. be made by 19. The various local boards shall meet as occasion Regulations may requires or as often as the council of the city, town or board. municipality deems necessary, and in municipalities the annual meeting of each local board shall be held at least two weeks before the annual meeting of the municipal council. 1888, c. 9, s. 6. 1889, c. 41, s. 1. failure to attend 20. If any member of the board after being duly sum- Penalty for moned by the chairman to a meeting fails to attend he shall meetings. be liable to a penalty not exceeding five dollars. c. 9, s. 5. 1888, |