A joyous time was had by all on Saturday as the second annual Comox Valley Pride Weekend kicked off with a parade along 5th Street toward Pride in the Park at Simms Park with music, vendors and a great kids zone. All in celebration of the LGBTQ2S+ community! Pictures are worth thousands of words so I will let them speak for themselves. Thanks to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard and Mayor Bob Wells for joining the fun and congratulations to the Pride Society of the Comox Valley for a job well done. As always, I appreciated hearing from constituents who checked in with me about issues in their lives.
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.