Finding a trusted doctor in Canada is easier when you know where to look.
Every province maintains a physician directory — an official, publicly accessible database that lists licensed doctors, surgeons, and specialists.
These directories allow you to look up a physician’s licence, credentials, and professional status, giving patients information about their healthcare provider’s registration and professional standing.
This guide explains how to use Canada’s provincial Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons directories, what information is available, and how patients can verify physicians such as Dr. Helen Dion.
1. What Is a Physician Directory?
A physician directory (or registrant directory) is an official database that lists doctors legally registered to practise medicine in a given province or territory.
It is maintained by the applicable medical regulatory authority.
Purpose:
Verify that a doctor is registered and their current registration status
Confirm specialties, practice locations, and other publicly available professional information
Identify publicly reported restrictions or disciplinary findings where applicable
Promote transparency and patient safety
Patients can use the appropriate provincial or territorial physician directory to verify a doctor’s current registration and publicly available professional information.
2. Canada’s Main Physician Directories
| Province / Territory | Regulatory College | Directory Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) | search.cpsa.ca | Public physician search and registration information |
| British Columbia | College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia | cpsbc.ca/public/registrant-directory | Public registrant directory |
| Ontario | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario | cpso.on.ca | Public physician information |
| Quebec | Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) | cmq.org/en/directory | Physician directory |
| Manitoba | College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba | cpsm.mb.ca | Registration information |
| Nova Scotia | College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia | cpsns.ns.ca | Public physician information |
| Saskatchewan | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan | cps.sk.ca | Public physician search |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador | cpsnl.ca | Public registration information |
| Yukon / NWT / Nunavut | Applicable territorial regulatory authorities | Consult the appropriate territorial regulator | Regional registration information |
3. How to Use a Physician Lookup Tool
Go to your province’s physician directory (for example, CPSA in Alberta).
Enter the doctor’s name (for example, “Helen Dion”).
-
Review the publicly available information, which may include:
Registration or permit status
Practice location
Specialty or discipline
Registration or permit information
Example – Alberta:
Patients can search for Dr. Helen Dion through the CPSA public physician directory and review her current publicly available registration and practice information. Dr. Dion currently practises family medicine at Imagine Health Medical Clinics – Calgary Capitol Hill.
Imagine Health Medical Clinics – Calgary Capitol Hill
📍 2004 14 St NW Unit 207, Calgary, AB T2M 1A6
📞 (403) 775-9669
📠 1 (866) 483-1816
🌐 Book an Appointment Online
4. What Information You’ll Find in a Directory
| Category | Information That May Be Provided |
|---|---|
| Name and Title | Physician name and professional information |
| Practice Address | Clinic, hospital, or other registered practice location |
| Specialty / Discipline | Family medicine, psychiatry, surgery, pediatrics, or other areas as applicable |
| Registration Class | Current registration or permit information where publicly displayed |
| Status | Current registration status |
| Registration Information | Public registration details provided by the regulator |
| Disciplinary Findings | Public information where applicable |
| Additional Information | Other professional information made publicly available by the regulator |
5. Difference Between a Physician Directory and Review Website
| Directory Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Official Registry | Verify registration and publicly available professional information | CPSA, CPSO, CPSBC |
| Review Site | Read patient-submitted feedback and experiences | RateMDs and other review platforms |
| Private Database | May provide physician search, recruitment, or matching services | Varies by provider |
Official physician directories are the appropriate source for verifying a physician’s registration and regulatory information. Review websites provide patient-submitted opinions and should not be treated as substitutes for official regulatory information.
6. Role of the College of Physicians and Surgeons
Provincial medical regulators are responsible for regulating physicians within their respective jurisdictions and protecting the public interest.
Functions may include:
Licensing and registration
Receiving and addressing complaints
Professional standards and regulatory oversight
Quality assurance requirements
Maintaining a public physician directory
Patients should consult the relevant regulator for authoritative information about a physician’s registration and professional status.
7. Why Physician Lookup Matters
Checking a physician’s official registration can help patients confirm information such as:
Whether the physician is currently registered to practise
The physician’s registered discipline or specialty, where listed
The physician’s registered practice location
Public conditions, restrictions, or disciplinary information where applicable
Physician lookup can be especially useful when:
Moving to a new province
Booking with a new family doctor
Confirming the identity or registration of a physician
Researching a specialist referral
8. Family Doctors and Specialists in Directories
Provincial physician directories may allow patients to identify physicians by discipline, specialty, location, or other search criteria.
Examples can include:
Family Medicine
Internal Medicine
Surgery
Psychiatry
Pediatrics
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Patients looking for a Calgary family physician can use the CPSA physician directory to search for family physicians and review their publicly available registration information, including Dr. Helen Dion.
9. Using Physician Directories to Find a Doctor in Calgary
If you’re looking for a family doctor or trying to determine whether a physician is accepting new patients:
Check the CPSA physician directory for Calgary physician information.
Visit AlbertaFindADoctor.ca for available information about finding a family physician.
-
Contact the physician’s current clinic directly to confirm appointment and patient availability.
For Dr. Helen Dion:
Imagine Health Medical Clinics – Calgary Capitol Hill
2004 14 St NW Unit 207
Calgary, AB T2M 1A6
Phone: (403) 775-9669
Fax: 1 (866) 483-1816
Book an Appointment Online
Patient availability can change, so patients should confirm current availability directly with the clinic.
10. Physicians and Surgeons – What’s the Difference?
| Doctor Type | Role |
|---|---|
| Physician | Assesses, diagnoses, manages, and treats medical conditions within the physician’s scope of practice. |
| Surgeon | A physician with specialist surgical training who performs operations and procedures within their specialty. |
Surgeons are physicians, but not all ph