Hill Life & People
Justice Clément Gascon’s frank admission to mental health challenges leaves a legacy worth celebrating
By Tim Powers May. 22, 2019
The openness of the retiring Supreme Court of Canada justice also affords the court an extra degree of credibility in showing how key societal institutions are connected to the rest of us.
Times have changed at the Supreme Court of Canada from the 1980s when Justice Gerald Le Dain took an early retirement from the bench with no public acknowledgement of his mental health challenges or support from the institution, writes Tim Powers. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
OTTAWA—Supreme Court Justice Clément Gascon is a brave man and a role model, whether he views himself as one or not (I don’t know the man, but somehow I doubt he does). To reveal publicly, as he did a week ago, that the reason for his recent disappearance was due in part to a panic attack epitomized leadership. He refused to hide in the shadows, as that is the paralysis that mental health angst can cause.
Related Stories
Explore, analyze, understand
Inside Ottawa Directory – 2020 Edition
The handy reference guide includes: riding profiles, MPs by province, MP contact details, both Hill and constituency and more.
Get the book
The handy reference guide includes: riding profiles, MPs by province, MP contact details, both Hill and constituency and more.
Get the book
Mauril and Me
A collection of personal reflections and anecdotes in encounters and impacts by colleagues, community leaders and individuals.
Get the book
A collection of personal reflections and anecdotes in encounters and impacts by colleagues, community leaders and individuals.
Get the book
The Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis
This e-book summarizes the work on the opioid crisis that is going on at the federal level: what the House of Commons and the Senate have been listening to and acting on to help stop and mitigate this tragedy.
Get the book
This e-book summarizes the work on the opioid crisis that is going on at the federal level: what the House of Commons and the Senate have been listening to and acting on to help stop and mitigate this tragedy.
Get the book
Related Policy Briefings
Environment
Short and informative analyses on policy challenges that bring background and recommendations to policymakers, journalists and the general public.
Read policy briefing
Short and informative analyses on policy challenges that bring background and recommendations to policymakers, journalists and the general public.
Read policy briefing
Cannabis
Short and informative analyses on policy challenges that bring background and recommendations to policymakers, journalists and the general public.
Read policy briefing
Short and informative analyses on policy challenges that bring background and recommendations to policymakers, journalists and the general public.
Read policy briefing
Politics This Morning
Your email has been added. An email has been sent to your address, please click the link inside of it to confirm your subscription.
Federal silence on Wet’suwet’en tensions a ‘worrisome’ sign of faltering Liberal push on reconciliation, say advocates
Green Party MP Paul Manly says tensions in Wet'suwet'en territory reveal ‘political failure’ on the part of the federal government. Newfoundlanders struggling from historic storm in need of federal funds, MPs say
From heating pea soup by candlelight to snowboards on the streets, Parliamentarians reflect on ‘random acts of kindness’ and community that came with the massive clean-up effort.Don’t go down ‘rabbit hole’ in Trade Committee’s study of new NAFTA implementation bill, warn trade experts
NDP MP Daniel Blaikie says it's worth taking 'a little extra time' to understand the 'full implications' of the new NAFTA, as well as to look at how Canada can improve its internal international trade process. PM convenes Incident Response Group, as feds, provinces ramp-up co-ordinated response to coronavirus
'The situation is changing almost hourly and our public health system needs to be ready to adapt to any sudden change in the current situation,' says SFU's Kelley Lee. Conservative MP hopes committee’s briefing on coronavirus offers measure of comfort amid fears of outbreak in Canada
'We don’t want to raise the political fire on this. We want to make sure that we’re all working together to show Canadians that this is being addressed,' says Conservative health critic Matt Jeneroux.Speaker Rota unveils suggestion box, calls on MPs to pitch improvements to House
'It sends a positive message. It's very much akin to a manger leaving the door open,' says Conservative MP Dan Albas.Feds underestimate revenue loss from tax cuts, PBO says
Whereas the government projected that 1.1 millions Canadians will no longer be paying federal taxes, the PBO puts that figure at 900,000. Signs of political opportunism emerge as MPs on Canada-China Relations Committee urge collaboration
Bloc Québécois MP Stéphane Bergeron says he thinks motions put forward by the Conservatives show signs of a 'partisan temptation.'Conservative Party a ‘rudderless mess’ and there’s bad blood between its fund and national council, say some Conservatives
The 'huge overstep by the Conservative Fund’ to fire executive director Dustin van Vugt has created ‘bad blood’ between the national council and the fund, says Yaroslav Baran, a former senior Conservative Hill staffer.Trending Stories
