Words to know
Short definitions of the terms that come up most often in letters, forms and conversations with officials.
- Health card
- A card that shows you are registered for provincial health coverage. In Ontario this is commonly called an OHIP card.
- Primary care
- The first place for most ongoing health concerns, usually a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
- Nurse practitioner
- A registered nurse with advanced training who can assess conditions, order tests and prescribe many medications.
- Specialist
- A doctor focused on one area of medicine. Publicly covered specialist care often requires a referral.
- OHIP
- The Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Public insurance that pays for doctor visits and hospital care.
- SIN
- Social Insurance Number. A nine digit number you need in order to work in Canada and to pay taxes.
- Lease
- The written agreement between a tenant and a landlord. In Ontario most private rentals use a standard lease form.
- Last month rent deposit
- Money a landlord may collect at the start and hold to pay for your final month.
- Tenant insurance
- Insurance that can protect your belongings and personal liability. A landlord may require it.
- Eviction notice
- A legal notice from a landlord. It is not always an order to leave, and the landlord must follow the required process.
- Housing cooperative
- Housing managed by members who share responsibility for the community. Some homes may receive a subsidy.
- Utilities
- Electricity, heat and water. A rent described as all inclusive already includes them.
- Rent geared to income
- Subsidized housing where rent is set at about thirty percent of household income.
- Landlord and Tenant Board
- The tribunal that decides disputes between landlords and tenants in Ontario.
- Walk in clinic
- A clinic that treats minor illness and injury without an appointment.
- Urgent care
- Care for a problem that needs prompt attention but is not immediately life threatening.
- Emergency department
- The hospital department for serious or potentially life threatening health problems.
- Pharmacist
- A regulated health professional who prepares medication and advises on safe use. Ontario pharmacists can assess some common conditions.
- Psychiatrist
- A medical doctor specializing in mental health who can diagnose illness and prescribe medication.
- Psychologist
- A regulated professional who provides psychological assessment and therapy. Public coverage varies.
- Psychotherapist
- A professional who provides talk therapy and mental health support. Coverage varies.
- Community health centre
- A community based centre that combines primary care with health and social supports.
- Family doctor
- Your regular doctor, also called a primary care provider, who refers you to specialists.
- Referral
- A note from your doctor that allows you to see a specialist.
- Prescription
- A written order from a doctor or nurse practitioner for medication from a pharmacy.
- Generic medication
- A cheaper version of a drug with the same active ingredient as the brand.
- Credential evaluation
- A report explaining the Canadian equivalent of a degree earned in another country.
- Regulated profession
- A job that requires a licence from a professional body, such as nursing or engineering.
- Bridge training
- A short program that fills the gap between foreign training and Canadian requirements.
- Canadian experience
- Work done in Canada, including volunteering and placements, that employers often ask for.
- Employment standards
- The minimum rules for pay, hours, holidays and leave that most employers must follow.
- Pay stub
- A record showing your pay, hours, deductions and other information for a pay period.
- Minimum wage
- The lowest hourly wage an employer can usually pay. The amount can change and some work has special rules.
- Overtime
- Extra pay that may apply after a worker passes the weekly threshold set by Ontario law.
- Licensing body
- The organization that decides who may legally practise a regulated profession or trade.
- Survival job
- A job taken to pay the bills while you work towards a role in your own field.
- Settlement agency
- A free service that helps newcomers with paperwork, housing, work and language.
- Public health unit
- The local office that runs vaccination, health inspection and public health programs.
- Warming centre
- A public building opened during extreme cold where anyone can go inside to get warm.
- Cooling centre
- A public air conditioned building opened during a heat wave.
- Wind chill
- How cold the air feels once wind is taken into account.
- Black ice
- A thin, almost invisible layer of ice on a road or sidewalk.
- Freezing rain
- Rain that freezes when it touches cold surfaces and creates dangerous ice.
- Heat warning
- An official alert that very hot conditions may affect health.
- Air Quality Health Index
- A scale that explains the health risk from outdoor air pollution and suggests precautions.
- Weather advisory
- An official notice about weather that may cause difficulty or risk.
Last reviewed: August 5, 2026