Today, the Province of British Columbia proclaimed "Indigenous Nurses Day" to celebrate and honour Indigenous Nurses for their contributions to supporting the safety, health and well-being of all the people in British Columbia. Last week, I was pleased to meet up with my friend Qualicum Beach resident Marilyn Van Bibber, a founding member of the Registered Nurses of Canadian Indian Ancestry in 1975- since renamed, the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association. Thank you to all those Indigenous nurses over the generations for being strong advocates and change agents to advance health equity, create culturally safe care environments for Indigenous Peoples and eradicate Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination in our health care system. Happy Indigenous Nurses Day to you all!
Mood Disorders Society of Canada Meeting
It was a privilege to meet with representatives from Mood Disorders Society of Canada recently in Ottawa to discuss the important role of community organizations and peer support workers in helping Canadians with mental illnesses. They spoke about how the chronic underfunding of Canada’s mental health sector limits the ability of non-profit organizations to expand services and meet growing demand. We agreed that investing in community mental health organizations could reduce pressures on the healthcare system and help Canadians who are struggling. Finally, we talked about my Private Member’s Bill, C-414, which is pushing for parity between physical and mental health in our universal, public healthcare system. Canada is facing a mental health crisis and it’s clear we need systemic change so everyone can access care when they need it most.