When regional health boards choose how to allocate limited resources on the public's behalf, they are exercising ethical judgment. When board members are familiar with the study of ethics and the tools it has produced, they are able to make informed and consistent ethical choices. One board in P.E.I. drew upon ethical principles to first codify its core values, and then develop a process for making decisions which conformed to those values. As boards across Canada assume greater authority and responsibility for public health, a clear understanding of ethical principles can guide their difficult choices.