On April 9th, 2018 partners from across Toronto came together for the Mental Health and Cities Summit at the University of Toronto. Hosted by Mayor John Tory in partnership with Wellesley Institute, CAMH, CivicAction, Downtown Yonge BIA and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Summit gathered politicians, academics, front-line practitioners and others who experience the impact of mental health every day – to identify and drive areas for change. Mayors from across Canada presented case studies from their own jurisdictions and through panel discussions and breakout sessions, attendees were able to discuss strategies and solutions to help improve the mental health and well-being of all Torontonians.
Summit Highlights | Mayor John Tory’s keynote speech | Mayors’ Presentations | Keynote Speech by Poppy Jaman | Speaker biographies | Breakout Sessions | Media
Summit Highlights
The Summit featured Ontario Health Minister Dr. Helena Jaczek and Mayors from across Canada including: Gregor Robertson of Vancouver, Bonnie Crombie of Mississauga, Danny Breen of St. John’s, Drew Dilkens of Windsor, and Berry Vrbanovic of Kitchener. They were joined by Poppy Jaman OBE, CEO of City Mental Health Alliance and Mental Health First Aid England, Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute, and City of Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, among others.
Mayor John Tory’s keynote speech
https://www.facebook.com/johntoryTO/videos/10160513438230495/
Mayors’ Presentations
Keynote Speech by Poppy Jaman
As you develop Toronto’s mental health strategy, remember the teacher who inspired me, and the caring health visitor who set me on the road to recovery, and the compassionate stranger on the beach who shared my pain. As that is how we will create a healthier, more compassionate, stigma-free world.
Poppy Jaman OBE, CEO of City Mental Health Alliance and Mental Health First Aid England
Poppy Jaman delivered a keynote that emphasized that everyone has mental health in the same way that everyone has physical health and that individuals and people at all levels of the city need to work together to destigmatize mental distress and illness.
Poppy shared her own journey with depression and the comfort and support that she received from different individuals along her personal mental health journey. Through Mental Health First Aid England Poppy has been able to support many more people to be skilled at talking about mental health and they in turn have been able to help many others to recovery and mental wellness.
Poppy shared that every aspect of city life is connected to mental health. She stated the unique role cities can play to convene stakeholders, leverage resources and drive action on mental well-being. To address mental health challenges and promote mental wellbeing for all, cities need to be equipped with the necessary resources and capacity to encourage discussion about mental health without fear of stigma. Poppy ended the keynote on an inspirational note that Toronto stands at a crossroads for change. She encouraged Toronto and other cities across the country to leverage this pivotal moment to demonstrate strong municipal leadership on mental health.
Speaker biographies
The expert panel offered diverse perspectives on the role cities can play in fostering well-being and how this can take root in Toronto through partnership of the City, Province, business and services sectors.
Anne Theriault, Summit Emcee
Minister Helena Jaczek, Provincial remarks
Kwame McKenzie, Summit Partner and Expert Panelist
Eileen De Villa, Summit Partner and Expert Panelist
Poppy Jaman, Visiting Keynote
Kathy Langlois, Expert Panelist
Jennifer Chambers, Expert Panelist
Robert Moore, Summit Partner and Expert Panelist
Download the Experts Panel Notes
Breakout Sessions
The breakout sessions were facilitated by additional partners including the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Ryerson University, the University of Toronto, and the City of Toronto’s Public Health and Social Development, Finance & Administration divisions. Topics covered include upstream planning, mental health first aid, campus mental health, the role of data in health policy development, mental health in the workplace, and a cross-sectoral urban approach in mental health.
Breakout Session Notes:
- Mental Health Cities Summit April 2018 – Campus Mental Health
- Mental Health Cities Summit April 2018 – Mental Health First Aid
- Mental Health Cities Summit April 2018 – Swimming Upstream
- Mental Health Cities Summit April 2018 – Working Together
- Mental Health Cities Summit April 2018 – Workplace Mental Health
- Mental Health Cities Summit April 2018 – Data
Media
News Articles
- John Tory considers appointing mental health officer for Toronto, Globe & Mail, April 8, 2018
- Canadian mayors, academics, practitioners come to U of T to talk mental health in cities, UofT News, April 9, 2018
- Op-ed by Mayor John Tory – Mental health in our cities is a crisis, Toronto Star, April 9, 2018
- Canadian mayors plea for federal help for mental health and addiction issues, Toronto Star, April 9, 2018
- Canada’s big city mayors calling for national benchmarks to tackle mental health crisis, Global News, April 9, 2018
- Demand for mental health training for customer service workers skyrockets in Vancouver, The Star Vancouver, April 10, 2018
Radio
- Mayor John Tory on The Morning Show, April 9, 2018
- Poppy Jaman onCBC Metro Morning, April 9, 2018
- Dr. Kwame McKenzie on CBC Metro Morning, April 10, 2018
Videos