Honourable senators, I am rising today to draw your attention to an issue that is both urgent and very personal for me, and that is transforming our health care system to better serve children, youth and families. After all, children and youth represent 100% of our future.

In this spirit, I wish to highlight the Ontario Intensive Treatment Pathway, or OITP, an unprecedented model designed to transform the intensive mental health treatment system in Ontario. The OITP aims to improve access for children and youth experiencing the most significant mental health challenges.

From November 16 to 18, 2025, the OITP held its first symposium in Ottawa, where I had the honour of speaking. This important event, which featured renowned international experts, child and youth mental health leaders, education, health and community services leaders and the Ministry of Health of Ontario, fostered shared learning and contributed meaningfully to the ongoing development of the OITP model and its regional intensive treatment networks.

I was privileged to hear about the Indigenous-led distinction-based parallel process. I was also gratified to learn of the $22.9 million invested by the Ontario Ministry of Health in the development of OITP.

Colleagues, we are facing a real and pressing child and youth mental health crisis in Canada. According to UNICEF’s Report Card 19 on child well-being, Canada ranks nineteenth out of 36 high-income countries on indicators such as mental and physical health and skills development, and ranks thirty-third for adolescent suicide.

According to Children’s Mental Health Ontario, 28,000 children and youth in Ontario are currently waiting for mental health services. For some families, the wait can be as long as two and a half years.

Treating one cohort of 10-year-old children with anxiety and depression will save us $1 trillion — that’s with a “T” — over their lifetime. Can you imagine that?

This is why the promise of the OITP is so critical. And this is why mental health, substance use and addiction parity need to become a national priority.

It takes a village to raise a child. They are counting on us. Together, we can build a strong Canada.

Thank you. Meegwetch.