Joel Kettner has had his contract terminated by the Manitoba government. (CBC)

Manitoba's chief public health officer has had his contract terminated by the province.

Dr. Joel Kettner became a well-known public figure in 2009 during the H1N1 scare, keeping the province informed on the spread of the flu and the progress of vaccinations.

He has been the province's top public health doctor since 1999 and his contract wasn't set to expire until 2014.

Kettner told CBC News on Wednesday that he was somewhat surprised at the government's decision because a couple of weeks ago, he thought his contract was about to be extended.

"I got a signal that there was a willingness to do that, and then the job is ended. So [I have] mixed feelings and [am] trying to figure it out," he said in an interview.

Kettner said he was terminated without cause, which was allowed under his contract.

"Nothing I did was illegal, nothing I did was incompetent; otherwise they, I believe, would have released me for cause," he said.

Kettner said he was not given any reasons, but he thinks the province clearly felt it was time for a change.

Margaret Fast has been made the acting chief public health officer.

With files from the CBC's Leslie McLaren