Dr. Jesse Kancir Named Nova Scotia’s Next Chief Medical Officer of Health
Dr. Jesse Kancir, currently the province's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, will succeed Dr. Robert Strang as Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Officer of Health in January. Dr. Strang is retiring after 27 years in the provincial healthcare system.
On October 14, 2026, the Government of Nova Scotia announced that Dr. Jesse Kancir will become the province’s next Chief Medical Officer of Health beginning in January. He succeeds Dr. Robert Strang, who announced his retirement in June and will step down in early January after 27 years in Nova Scotia’s healthcare system.
Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness, welcomed Dr. Kancir to the role and thanked Dr. Strang for his service.
Dr. Kancir has served as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health since 2025. He moved to Nova Scotia in 2021, where he previously held positions as associate regional medical officer of health and regional medical officer of health. Before relocating to the province, he worked in the Yukon as a medical officer of health and acting deputy chief medical officer of health.
Dr. Kancir graduated from the University of Toronto and completed public health training at the University of British Columbia. He also studied public policy and health economics at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics. Outside of his professional duties, he volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Halifax and serves on the Alumni Advisory Board of the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Strang began his career in Nova Scotia in 1999 as a medical officer for the former Capital District Health Authority and has held the title of Chief Medical Officer of Health since 2007. He became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing in daily briefings alongside Premiers Stephen McNeil and Iain Rankin. In 2020, he was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration.