Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to the motion introduced by my honourable colleague Senator Brazeau that the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine and report on suicide prevention and mental health needs among Canadians, including a particular emphasis on boys and men and the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in suicide statistics.

Mental health is a very important topic that’s not been addressed openly until very recent years, and even now, there is a lingering stigma that makes it difficult for those suffering to share openly without shame.

I want to thank Senator Brazeau for bringing this issue to the forefront. I also want to thank him and commend him for his bravery in sharing his personal story in the chamber. It is an inspiration to so many who are hiding their pain who think no one would care or understand.

There are many areas of concern when it comes to how we handle mental health issues in our homes, workplaces, communities and in the country as a whole. However, my remarks today will focus mainly on mental health challenges faced by farmers.

In a survey of over 1,100 farmers done by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, they found that 45% of respondents were highly stressed, 58% met the criteria for anxiety and 35% met the criteria for depression. At the same time, 40% of the respondents answered that they were uncomfortable seeking professional help.

Farmers work largely independently in a world that is greatly dependent on external factors, weather, the market, government regulations and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers can do everything right and still face struggles.

Farm Credit Canada, which has been supporting work done on farmers’ mental health and providing some resources to farmers, identifies some of the main stressors faced by farmers as volatile markets, long work hours, family disagreements, lack of sleep, unreasonable personal goals, unpredictable weather and therefore uncertain yields, administrative burden, machinery breakdowns and challenges with technology, handling dangerous goods and the well-being of their livestock.

4-H Canada also provides mental health resources to our rural youth. In general, the younger generations are more aware and open about mental health issues. I think it is extremely important to normalize discussions around it from a young age. When these 4-H youth are running their own farms and operations, I am hopeful that the stigma will be gone and discussing mental health will be standard procedure in the agricultural industry.

As noted earlier, farmers often work in isolation, which is an added strain on mental health. More than ever, farmers face stigmatization from a general public that often has a negative view of farming. Many farmers feel that people have a negative perception of the way they treat their animals and lands, despite the pride and care they take in their work. They often face ridicule online and in person by activist groups who question their morality and integrity and call them murderers and worse.

In May 2019, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food released a report entitled: “Mental Health: A Priority for our Farmers.” The report outlines actions that the government can and should take to address the challenges and stressors farmers face, including re-examining the process of audits and labour reviews, working to implement high-speed internet in rural areas, developing public awareness campaigns around mental health issues for farmers and other initiatives that the government undertakes, including “. . . the national coordination of various research and prevention activities targeting the mental health of farmers.” The report also recommends telephone helplines and e-mental health services for rural farms.

Another recent report produced by Farm Management Canada indicates a positive correlation between good mental health in primary producers and the use of business management practices on the farm. Only 21% of producers who participated in the study use written business plans. Of those, 88% say it contributes to a peace of mind and helps to reduce stress. When things get busy or even overwhelming, finances and business planning are often the first things to go.

The government has business risk management programs available to farmers: AgriInsurance, AgriStability, AgriInvest, and AgriRecovery. However, the uptake on these programs by farmers has been relatively low, especially since their coverage was reduced in 2013. Many farmers don’t consider these programs to be worth it. Agricultural organizations, including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, have called for changes. Making improvements to the suite of business risk-management programs in a way that makes them more accessible and helpful for farmers would be a step in the right direction in terms of addressing on-farm mental health challenges.

Farming is also a largely male-dominated industry and, as we know, men are more likely to die by suicide and less likely to seek support for mental illness. That is not to say that women on farms do not face the same struggle because they do. However, as Senator Brazeau outlined in his proposal, it would be useful to examine the gender differences when it comes to mental illness so that we can better target solutions.

Regional disparities exist as well. Even when farmers seek help, there are often fewer services and resources available in rural areas in which they live than as compared to urban centres.

When farmers struggle with their mental health, they don’t always have the option of taking time off, like many of the rest of us do. They need to continue to work, continue to deal with the same stressors and this therefore exacerbates the problem.

Farmers are only one set of Canadians who struggle with mental health issues. All need and deserve help. I wanted to bring farmers into this discussion because I don’t think that most Canadians associate farming with mental illness and suicide, but it is pervasive. And farmers, of course, are one of the many groups that need help.

As Senator Brazeau told us, Indigenous Canadians are severely overrepresented in suicide statistics. In fact, he told us that the Inuit communities have the highest suicide rates in the world. It is clear, my friends, that more needs to be done. I think that a Senate committee study is a good place to start.

Thank you, meegwetch.