Parties ‘doing more’ to boost awareness of mental health resources, Liberals to hire HR adviser for staffers
The parties with the largest presence on the Hill say they are upping efforts to bring awareness of mental health resources available to political staffers working on Parliament Hill, including the planned hiring of a human resources adviser for Liberal employees. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) spokesperson Eleanore Catenaro said via email that the Liberal Party has […]
My mental-health journey: from sister to social worker to minister
More than two decades ago, a concerned citizen contacted Canada’s minister of health. Worried about the scant resources dedicated to mental health, he petitioned the minister for action. The minister declined—not because he disagreed, but because as health minister, mental health was “not his issue.” While you might find this shocking, I do not. I […]
Tim Powers: we have to talk openly about mental illness. Here’s my story
OTTAWA—There is a reason Bell Canada’s wonderful campaign about mental health and wellness is called Let’s Talk. It’s simple. The more people normalize the conversation around things like depression, the way they do about an illness like cancer, the sooner those who still feel stung by society’s stigma around hidden diseases will have the ability […]
Seamus O’Regan: if we want Canadians to talk about mental health, public figures have to too
This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week. I want to challenge all Canadians to raise awareness and understanding of mental illness, and to take action. It’s a time to encourage conversations that, quite frankly, would not have taken place 10 years ago. Supporting good mental health is not just a campaign that happens one week […]
Mental Health on the Hill
Questions still abound with only few weeks before pot legalization, massive policy shift
Recreational pot will be legalized across Canada in a few weeks, but industry observers and politicos say there are still a host of unknowns, though they are divided on whether the government has done the necessary groundwork ahead of this massive policy shift. Canada’s federal Border Security Minister Bill Blair (Scarborough Southwest, Ont.) has been […]
There’s another pipeline we need to talk about
There’s only one word running through my mind these days: pipeline. I’m not referring to Kinder Morgan, oil development or Canada’s latest acquisition. The pipeline I am referring to is the one that we must continually replenish in our health sciences sector. Given Canada’s considerable investments in research and development and in health care, why […]
PM should attend high-stakes meeting on tuberculosis
The high-intensity drama unfolding during the NAFTA talks should not make us forget that other crucial events are happening this month in the United States that require Canadian leadership. Indeed, on Sept. 26 at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending Tuberculosis will be taking place. Heads of governments from around the world […]
Now’s no time to slow support for health research, innovation
Over the last three years, it is clear that the Canadian government has shifted its focus to investments in innovation and technology development for the future—dubbing Canada as a “nation of innovators.” Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada has prioritized investment in supporting business growth, creating jobs, and supporting research that will inform policy directly […]
Access to capital, government red tape among top barriers cited by biotech firms, survey finds
Access to capital remains the biggest challenge for Canada’s biotechnology sector, even as most of its companies have tapped into federal programs offered to startup companies, according to a new report released on Sept. 24. While the industry has shown signs of promising growth, a survey polling 208 biotechnology companies in Canada found 57 per […]
