2011 Champions of Mental Health
George CopePresident and CEO, Bell Canada and BCE Inc.
2011 Champions of Mental Health, Private Sector
Mr. Cope is a Canadian telecommunications executive who has served in public-company CEO roles in the industry for more than 15 years prior to joining Bell in 2005. In 2010, Bell Canada pledged to donate $50 million to support mental health and anti-stigma initiatives over the next five years. To date Bell, through the Bell Mental Health initiative, has contributed more than $10 million to mental health organizations and charities across Canada. The Initiative has also raised millions through the 5 cents for each text and LD call made by Bell and Bell Aliant customers on Bell Let’s Talk Day. Through their generous commitment to mental illness and health issues in Canada, Bell Canada and George Cope have helped open the dialogue and reduce stigma.
Hon. Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour
2011 Champion of Mental Health, Public Sector
Minister Raitt was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and was appointed the Minister of Labour in January 2010. As Minister of Labour, she has made many contributions to bettering workplace standards and creating healthy environments for employees and employers. Minister Raitt has worked alongside the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) to help develop a national standard in Canada for psychological health and safety in the workplace. In order to help implement the new standards, the Federal government has pledged $320,000 to the MHCC through a partnership between Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Minister Raitt is committed to creating a workplace that is accommodating for everyone who experiences mental illness.
Dr. Martin Antony
Chair, Department of Psychology, Ryerson University
2011 Champion of Mental Health, Research
Dr. Antony is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University in Toronto. He is also Director of Research at the Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario, and past president of the Canadian Psychological Association. Dr. Antony has written many books on mental disorders, treatments and assessment models. He has also published more than 150 scientific articles and book chapters in the area, including cognitive behavior therapy, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, perfectionism, and other related topics. Dr. Antony has served on the Boards of Directors for the Society of Clinical Psychology and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and as Program Chair for several mental health organizations across North America. Dr. Antony demonstrates true leadership and a commitment to research and education regarding mental illness.
AMI- Québec
2011 Champion of Mental Health
Community Organization
AMI-Québec is a grassroots organization whose goals are to provide support to help families manage the effects of mental illness through education, guidance and advocacy. They build up communities of people who are supportive and understanding and create an atmosphere that encourages recovery. In order to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, AMI-Québec conducts fundraising projects in their community to bring awareness to the prevalence of mental illness. As part of their goal to help those dealing with mental illness, they offer workshops, programs, suggested readings, round table discussions, and other seminars, which provide valuable information on mental health and related issues to consumers, families, employers and other organizations.
David Granirer
Founder, Stand Up For Mental Health
2011 Champion of Mental Health, Community (Individual)
David Granirer is a counsellor, stand-up comic, speaker, and author of The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead To Happiness and Success. He has taught stand-up comedy to recovering drug addicts and cancer patients, and is the founder of Stand Up For Mental Health, a project teaching stand-up comedy to people with mental illness as a way of building confidence and fighting public stigma.Mental health organizations across Canada and the U.S. bring him in to train their members to do stand-up comedy and perform at events and conferences. His work is featured in the VOICE Award winning CBC Passionate Eye documentary Cracking Up.Through his own battle with depression he discovered the healing power of humour and made it his mission to share it with as many people as possible. David also gives laughter in the workplace presentations to hundreds of organizations across North America, helping them use humor to decrease stress, increase wellness, and cope with change.
