The obvious first step is to study the story told by the numbers – what was the impact of H1N1 here, and how does it compare to the impact it had in other jurisdictions? [...] Its objectives, all of which were realized, were to assess the disease severity and identify at-risk populations, monitor the epidemiology (causes and distribution patterns) of the disease, determine the safety and effectiveness of various interventions and contribute to the national and international picture of virus activity. [...] The number of hospitalizations during the second wave was higher than in the first wave because the disease was more widespread.10 However, as indicated in Table 1, the rates of hospitalization and death in Ontario were lower than the national rates over the course of the pandemic5,11 and lower than the estimated US rates.7 Although the death rate was lower, the burden of hospitalization and death [...] They worked collaboratively with other health agencies across the country and with international leaders in the field of public health to advise on the response, and were actively involved in the strategic committees overseeing the response. [...] The speed with which the OAHPP ramped up and the effectiveness of the agency’s response were critical in supporting the overall provincial response.