Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHAC)
Part of a province-wide network committed to Indigenous health equity.
What is an Aboriginal Health Access Centre?
Aboriginal Health Access Centres are community-governed, Indigenous-led primary health care organizations serving Indigenous peoples across Ontario. Each centre is rooted in the communities it was created to serve, and each one integrates western clinical care with traditional healing, cultural programs, and community supports.
AHACs are built on the understanding that Indigenous health cannot be separated from culture, language, land, and community. They exist to address the systemic gaps and barriers that have historically prevented Indigenous people from accessing safe, appropriate, and equitable healthcare.
There are ten AHACs across Ontario, each serving a distinct region. Together, they form a network united by shared values and a common commitment to Mino Bimaadiziwin — the good life.
What Sets AHACs Apart
Community Governed
Each AHAC is governed by and accountable to the Indigenous communities it serves. Decision-making stays rooted in community needs and priorities.
Culturally Grounded
AHACs integrate traditional healing knowledge alongside western medicine, ensuring that care reflects the whole person — mind, body, spirit, and community.
No Referral Required
Indigenous community members can access AHAC services directly, without a referral from a doctor or specialist. Access to care is kept as simple and barrier-free as possible.
Gizhewaadiziwin & the AHAC Network
Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre was one of the ten original Aboriginal Health Access Centres established in Ontario in 1998. We serve Indigenous people across the Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, within the heart of Southern Treaty #3 territory.
As a founding member of the AHAC network, Gizhewaadiziwin has been part of shaping what community-governed Indigenous healthcare looks like in this province for over 25 years. We are proud to stand alongside the other nine centres in that work.
The Ten Aboriginal Health Access Centres in Ontario
| Location | Name | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | Anishnawbe Mushkiki | www.mushkiki.com |
| Kenora | Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig | www.wnhac.org |
| Hamilton & Brantford | De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre | www.aboriginalhealthcentre.com |
| Barrie | Mamaway Wiidokdaadwin Primary Health Care Team | N/A |
| Cornwall | Mohawk Council of Akwesasne | www.akwesasne.ca |
| Cutler | N’Mninoeyaa Health Access Centre | www.mamaway.ca |
| Little Current | Noojmowin Teg Health Centre | www.noojmowin-teg.ca |
| Sudbury & Cochrane | Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre | www.skhc.ca |
| London, Muncey, Owen Sound & Windsor | Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre | www.soahac.on.ca |
| Ottawa | Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health | www.wabano.com |
Provincial Support
Aboriginal Health Access Centres are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health as part of the province’s commitment to improving Indigenous health outcomes. This funding supports the delivery of primary care, health promotion, cultural programs, and community supports across all ten centres.
Gizhewaadiziwin is proud to operate as part of this provincially supported network while remaining fully accountable to and governed by the Indigenous communities of the Rainy River District.