City of Hamilton shows leadership on national stage to address mental health emergency

HAMILTON, ON – At last week’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Conference in Toronto, the City of Hamilton successfully brought forward a resolution advocating for support from all levels of government to address the mental health emergency in Canada.

Mayor Andrea Horwath and Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann led the City’s delegation at the conference, which ran May 25-28, and brought forward the resolution that was endorsed by over 93 per cent of the FCM members in attendance.

The resolution included:

• That the Federation of Canadian Municipalities calls on the federal government to take urgent action to address mental health, and;
  • To acknowledge that mental health is a national emergency that demands urgent attention and action from all levels of government in Canada;
  • To commit to tripartite policy discussions aimed at making mental health care an integral part of Canada's universal health care system, with a view to establishing a constitutionally valid intergovernmental platform for mental health that recognizes and addresses the unique mental health needs of marginalized communities; and
  • To develop a comprehensive national mental health strategy that addresses the interconnected issues of housing, homelessness, and substance abuse, while increasing mental health investments in communities to ensure that all stakeholders, especially municipalities, community groups, and other local organizations, are properly resourced and organized for the delivery of essential mental health services and supports with sustainable, long-term funding.

Mayor Horwath and Councillor Nann addressed the crowd of over 2,900 delegates on Saturday as part of the resolutions plenary session. Councillor Nann emphasized the need to “intervene now and call on all three levels of government to work collaboratively to enable our communities to heal through a comprehensive national mental health strategy that is adequately resourced”.

The City of Hamilton was one of only three municipalities to successfully sponsor and bring forward a resolution at the conference.

Quick Facts

• Hamilton's City Council declared a state of emergency on April 13, 2023, over homelessness, addiction and mental health issues in the community.
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities has over 2,000 members representing 90 per cent of Canada's population – the national voice of municipal government.
• The Federation advocates in the Nation’s Capital on behalf of its members, making sure municipal priorities are reflected in federal policies and programs. Its programs provide funding and support capacity building that empowers local experts to focus on solving challenges in communities across Canada.