Evidence of meeting #107 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was help.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Mr. Shipley, that's your time.
Unfortunately, that's all the time we had.
It was very interesting. As a farmer, I was able to identify with all aspects of the discussion. I don't know whether that's why I went into politics, and I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Thank you, Mr. Caron.
Associate Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph
Sorry, I was delayed there. I'm not sure that was a better choice.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
There's still a lot of stress here.
Thank you, Mr. Caron, Mr. d'Amours, Mr. Girard, and Doctor Jones-Bitton.
It was a very nice session to start our study.
We'll have a change of witnesses. We'll take a two-minute break and come back right away to welcome the next group of witnesses. Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
We'll get into our second hour of our study on mental health for farmers.
With us this morning we have Mr. Ron Bonnett, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
Welcome again, Mr. Bonnett.
Also joining us by video conference, we have Groupe Leader Plus Inc.
Pierre Beaulieu is the Chief Executive Officer of Agriculture.
Mr. Beaulieu, can you hear us?
Pierre Beaulieu Chief Executive Officer, Agriculture, Groupe Leader Plus Inc.
Yes, I hear you very well, thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Welcome, Mr. Beaulieu.
Our third witness is also appearing by video conference.
Lesley Kelly from Do More Agriculture Foundation will be joining us shortly.
We'll start.
You have six minutes, Mr. Bonnett, to give your perspective on mental health from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
Ron Bonnett President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Thank you very much to the committee for taking time to discuss an issue that I think hasn't been discussed nearly enough for a number of years.
I don't think I need to give you much background on the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, but just so you know, we do represent farmers from right across the country.
As you know, agriculture is a unique, high-risk industry that requires dealing with volatility and uncertainty beyond your control, and often operating in remote, isolated locations. Whether it's markets, weather, disease or cash flow challenges, producers bear immense burdens and have learned from previous generations and broader societal expectations to deal with these burdens quietly on their own.
That is why I’m so pleased to be here today. Talking frankly about mental health challenges in public forums like this is one more step in the long process of breaking down the barriers that prevent farmers from talking about stress, anxiety and mental well-being in the same way we do about physical health. In an industry with so much opportunity, and such a wonderful sense of community and entrepreneurship, we can and must do better in helping those amongst us in dealing with mental health stress.
Personally, I’ve actually dealt with my own struggles on this front. In the early 1980s when my wife Cathy and I were early in our farming career, we were hit with the extremely high interest rates of that period. While I did not recognize it at the time, looking back now I realize I was getting very close to a period of depression. I could not sleep. It was difficult to make decisions. It seemed like my world was spinning out of control.
We were lucky. We had an agricultural extension person who recognized that a number of young farmers were in the same place. He set up a series of meetings where we were given the tools to help us cope financially and the conversations to help us walk through the issues. In my mind it is an example of how home, business and family are all connected in addressing mental illness issues at the farm level. The early intervention, mostly from a business perspective in my case, was likely responsible for avoiding what could have been a much more serious issue.
More recently in my role at CFA, I’ve heard very clearly from farm leaders across Canada that too many producers continue to suffer in silence, until it’s too late. In response, our organization coordinated a symposium this February on mental health in agriculture, bringing together mental health practitioners, researchers, producers and industry representatives from across Canada to discuss two key topics: first, building a common understanding of farmer mental health; and second, reviewing the state of mental health initiatives taking place in Canadian agriculture.
We heard the same concerning statistics that Dr. Jones-Bitton presented earlier today, alongside stories of lost productivity, suicidal thoughts and animal welfare issues arising due to untreated mental health issues. Following that, we heard from service providers and farm groups across Canada on the measures they’ve taken, including farm support lines, mental health first aid and access to paid-for counselling.
It was great to see diverse, exciting projects across Canada targeting this issue, but we noted four key takeaways.
First, mental health support needs to begin well before suicide prevention. Suicide is unfortunately far too prevalent, but it is an extreme outcome that’s avoidable with earlier intervention. We can’t wait until it’s too late.
Second, farmers need support services tailored to the farm sector. Calling in and speaking with someone who has no knowledge of what farming entails can lead to further isolation and be perceived as a lack of meaningful support.
Third, many of the initiatives were provincial in scope, with little knowledge of those activities outside the province. At CFA, this is a point of concern because it highlights the missed opportunities to build on best practices and truly ensure farmers across Canada have access to the supports they need.
Finally, initiatives are struggling to find sustainable funding. Across the board, we heard that they were struggling to maintain their services. Many were questioning whether they could continue to provide their services, while wishing they could do more. Increased funding for mental health supports, both federally and provincially, are critical.
At the conclusion of this symposium, we were pleased to announce an MOU with the Do More Agriculture Foundation on two fronts.
The first was a new CFA award, which we will shortly be unveiling called the Brigid Rivoire Memorial Award for Best Practices in Mental Health, which will celebrate individuals and organizations making a difference in mental health through a donation, promotions to tell their story and an award given out at our annual meeting.
As many of you know, Brigid was executive director at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture from 2001 to 2015. She was always known for wanting to help others in need, and was a very caring and giving person. She passed away in 2017, just as CFA was developing this program to help spread awareness of and address mental health issues in agriculture.
The second commitment with Do More Agriculture was to raise funds for research in agricultural mental health, which we continue to explore.
The fragmentation I mentioned earlier is one of the reasons we’re still exploring how to support research in this area. It’s difficult to assess where funding should be directed, what research is under way, and where dollars are needed. That’s why CFA would join Dr. Jones-Bitton in calling for the Government of Canada to support establishing a Canadian network of farmer mental health to coordinate efforts, ensure practical research is undertaken to develop meaningful supports and ultimately see agricultural and veterinary colleges adopting curricula on mental health wellness and resilience.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Mr. Bonnett, but I have to cut you off here. I know you have your hotline number, and we'll make sure you have a chance to—
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
I'll build the rest in later. I know how this works.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Yes, you can fit it in. You know how this works. You've been here before.
Mr. Beaulieu, you have six minutes.
Chief Executive Officer, Agriculture, Groupe Leader Plus Inc.
Hello. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to your committee.
I want to thank the member of Parliament for Shefford, Pierre Breton, who responded to my letter in less than 24 hours by giving me a call, which I truly appreciated.
My name is Pierre Beaulieu, and I'm the Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Leader Plus.
Let me tell you a bit about my background. I grew up in the business world. I spent 10 years in the family bakery and 10 years in an automotive parts distribution company with Esso and Chrysler Canada. I led the Groupement des chefs d'entreprise du Québec for 30 years and other groups in New Brunswick and Europe. Under my leadership, the number of members rose from 130 to 2,000, and the number of groups increased from 10 to 235.
My personal mission is to bring together leaders to help them develop their full potential in a spirit of mutual support, in order to build a more sensible, focused and prosperous society. I retired from the Groupement des chefs d'entreprise du Québec in 2014.
When I was in charge of the Groupement, farmers asked us to help them form groups. However, the farmers didn't have the same concerns as manufacturing and distribution SMEs. When I retired, farmers asked me to establish groups that would enable them to work together, help each other and grow as people. Groupe Leader Plus was created three years ago. Its mission is to bring together and support farm leaders, the next generation of farmers and farm owners, and to help them make progress with their four responsibilities as leaders.
The first of these four responsibilities is to develop the business on five levels. These levels are growth, human resources, operations, financial success and sustainability, and the business's entire network.
The second responsibility is to structure the business in five ways. They must think, plan, organize the business, coordinate meetings—an unusual but increasingly common activity for farmers—and control the business.
The third responsibility is to ensure the continuity of the business throughout the five stages of their career. These stages are entrepreneur, managing director, general manager, CEO and chair of the board. The creation of these stages is one thing that has greatly helped the next generation in Quebec SMEs. The stages enable the heads of businesses to properly establish their place, then leave their place to the next generation, as planned.
The fourth responsibility is to achieve a successful balance in the five areas of their life. These areas are their professional and social life; meaningful relationships; physical, psychological, intellectual and spiritual health; personal finances; and well-being and recreational activities.
The Groupement's self-help groups focus on these four responsibilities.
Each self-help group has 10 to 12 business leaders—or aspiring leaders—who meet five to six times a year and who commit to helping each other and sharing their experiences and expertise, in order to improve their leadership and make progress with the four responsibilities of a leader. All members agree to accept each other and they commit to working with each other. All the groups receive the services of a professional coach. The coaching sheds light on the experiences and expertise of participants at each stage of the meetings, in order to promote mutual help and help participants make progress as leaders or people.
Coaches never act as consultants, and they involve experts as needed. Group Leader Plus develops a network of consultants, management and group tools, and a library of experiences for its members. At each thematic meeting, we summarize the experiences of the people around the table, which then helps the entire province. A meeting lasts four hours. It starts with a round table discussion, where each person has equal speaking time to describe how things are going for them, their family, their team and their business.
Moreover, during meetings, this period is always the longest, since it takes about 90 minutes of the four hours.
In the second part of the meeting, members can consult the group regarding a difficulty related to a project, a relationship issue or an administrative challenge. For each topic, members can consult the group to find out what their colleagues would do in their place. It's very useful, since they have direct access to people's opinions. They then commit to making progress and holding other meetings, and we follow up on this.
The third part of the meeting always focuses on a main theme, which we determine at the start of the year. In fact, we're planning strategic challenges for the next two to three years, and we can develop a program that covers the strategic challenges of each member. We deal with topics such as human resources management or family relationships. We then seek a consensus on best practices.
The fourth part of the meeting is an evaluation period, and a time for participants to commit to making progress by the next meeting—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Mr. Beaulieu, your speaking time has unfortunately expired. I must give the floor to the next speaker. Thank you.
Now, from Do More Agriculture Foundation, we have Ms. Lesley Kelly.
Welcome, Ms. Kelly. You have six minutes to give us your opening statement.
Lesley Kelly Co-Founder, Do More Agriculture Foundation
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to present before you today.
Mental health is near and dear to my heart. I'm Lesley Kelly. I'm a farmer in Saskatchewan. I've been part of the Bell Let's Talk campaign, and both my husband and I have been very vocal, both online and within our networks, in sharing our mental health journeys. Not only am I an advocate for tackling the stigma around mental health in agriculture, I'm also a co-founder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation.
Who is Do More? At Do More, we are championing the mental health and mental well-being of all of our Canadian producers. We are trying to change the culture in agriculture so that all producers are encouraged, supported and empowered to take care of their mental well-being. Agriculture is an amazing industry. It's one that is built on deep rural roots, hard work, resilience, strength and community, but in order to uphold that image, those traits can also be our industry's weakness, as they become barriers for speaking up and seeking help.
Producers are among the most vulnerable when it comes to mental health issues. Stress, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion and burnout are all high among producers. At Do More, we see four barriers.
The first one is our culture. The ag industry is amazing but it is built on strength and perseverance, which also could be our weakness. The culture in ag is that a farmer should suck it up, tough it out and usually never show any emotion, and that if you ask for help, you are considered weak.
The second one is awareness. Many of us don't even know what mental health or mental illness really mean. This is a huge unknown, especially for an industry that has never been encouraged to talk about it.
The third one is isolation. As farmers, we spend a lot of time in rural and remote locations, usually on our own, often in a piece of equipment, which is not conducive to seeking professional help or having a conversation with someone.
The fourth one is the lack of resources. Our access to resources is limited because those resources are usually found in urban centres, and there may be a need to travel a fair distance to utilize them. At Do More, we are looking at how to make these resources accessible to our producers.
We also note two gaps. The first is finding farmer-specific resources. Resources for farmers are very limited. We've only identified a few. One we've identified is the farm stress line in Saskatchewan. The second one is navigating resources beyond your family doctor. If you are trying to find resources once you've visited your family doctor, it is very difficult to find them.
At Do More, we're focusing on three pillars in order to achieve our goal of championing the mental well-being of our producers.
The first one is awareness: awareness, education and breaking the stigma. These are the first steps in making a real and lasting impact for our industry. We strive for an industry where producers understand what it means for them to truly be healthy.
The second one is community. Community is more than just a physical place. Community is also a sense of belonging and being a part of something more. We aim to create community, where people can connect and also find resources that are relevant and accessible to them.
The third is research. Research is the backbone to creating further resources and ensuring they serve our industry. We want to ensure that more research can be completed in this field by supporting, sharing and funding both present and future research and working with our close partners, such as the University of Guelph and Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton.
How far have we come in the past 10 months? We launched in January of this year, and so far we are in the process of implementing a board that represents many sectors within the agriculture, mental health and geographical areas. We are in the midst of obtaining charitable status. Two weeks ago, we launched our community fund. It's a pilot project. We had enough funds for 10 to 12 communities to receive mental health first aid, and right now we are at over 80 applications. This demonstrates both the need and the want for our rural communities to get these skills.
We will be having an awareness campaign come November. It focuses on changing the language around mental health. We've been establishing partnerships with mental health service providers and community resources and creating industry partnerships, such as those with the CFA, Bayer and Farm Credit Canada. We've also been presenting at agriculture events and trade shows about mental health in agriculture and Do More.
Our ag industry is an amazing one and our producers are our greatest assets, but right now our greatest assets need help. They're hurting.
On behalf of Do More, my farm and my family, we need an industry-wide approach, and more help, awareness, support and resources to our Canadian producers.
Thank you very much.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you very much, Ms. Kelly.
Now we'll start our question round.
We'll start with Mr. Berthold.
You have six minutes.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Thank you Mr. Bonnett, Mr. Beaulieu and Ms. Kelly.
Mr. Bonnett, you held a symposium on mental health.
Did you map all of the groups who help farmers around Canada during this symposium, and is it available for us?
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
We can provide a report. I'll ask Scott to provide you with some information from our office.
It was one of the first conversations we had with that many people around, and I think we managed to identify the fact that, as I said in the presentation, there's a lot of activity taking place in isolated areas, but no one is connected to it.
I think Kim referred to that too. It's taking a look at the resources out there and how we can share and better utilize them.
I can provide some of that information to you.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
As the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, I think you have a role to play in that area of sharing this information.
I thank you for that, Mr. Bonnett.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Ms. Kelly, I really appreciated your words. I have participated in a few events with Do More Ag. You're doing a great job, and you've arrived right on time.
How will you change the language of mental health for farmers? What do you mean by that?
Co-Founder, Do More Agriculture Foundation
It's knowing the things that we say in our everyday language that contribute to the barriers, like “Suck it up”, or “We don't have time for this.” We've been told online, after my husband and I shared our story, that if we can't handle the stress, we shouldn't be called farmers and we can't be farmers.
What we're doing is outlining those barriers, the things we say every day that we might not even know, and providing people with the options or ideas for how to change that: “How can I help? You matter. You count. I'm listening. I'm here for you.”
It's giving people other options to think differently, and knowing that your language can make a huge impact on someone.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Are you aware, both of you, about any bullying or something like that in the ag sector between farmers, or between citizens of a city and farmers?
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
I think it's a culture of isolation.
As Kim said, the attitude is, “Suck it up.” I think the big problem is that because they're afraid of being viewed as soft, farmers are reluctant to come forward. It goes back to that cultural issue.
This is not just our generation; this is something that's been passed on through generations. You just deal with it yourself and pull yourself up by your bootstraps. All that language that Kim was referring to is what's part of the culture I think.
Co-Founder, Do More Agriculture Foundation
When we shared our story online, we had an immense amount of positive reinforcement and encouragement, but there were pockets of name-calling and bullying. We were called “weak” and “insane”. It came in different spots, but this is something that we haven't talked about. It's an unknown for some. It's uncomfortable and for some it's awkward. You do get that bullying.
The positive thing we've seen in the last 10 months of sharing our story is that before, we felt we were alone, but now, people are sharing that they're not going to stand for that and that's not called for.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Bonnett, mental health is under many jurisdictions, including provincial. We tried to find a way for the federal government and the ministry to participate in that.
What are you suggesting?