‘We need to act,’ health minister says as Canada seeks feedback on men’s health

OTTAWA — Canada needs to take action to improve the health of men and boys, Health Minister Marjorie Michel said Monday as she launched an online consultation to inform a national strategy.

Michel made the announcement in Ottawa with MPs from other parties in attendance. She said the government’s approach to the issue must be non-partisan and the solutions will require co-operation among governments and community organizations.

The federal government is seeking feedback from people across the country through an online consultation that will run from March 2 to June 1.

“We invite everyone, and especially men, to participate in this important conversation,” she said.

Richie Bullbrook, a skateboarder on Canada’s national team and a 2028 Olympic hopeful, spoke at the event about his own mental health and the way addiction has affected his family.

Bullbrook said his father, James Bullbrook, was his “No. 1 supporter” and the pair worked toward his dream of skateboarding for his entire life.

But the elder Bullbrook was also struggling in secret for many years with alcohol addiction, and was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bullbrook said when he was invited to his first Olympic training camp four years ago, his dad’s health was declining.

“I didn’t want to go, I wanted to stay close to home even if I couldn’t see him. I wanted to be nearby. My dad did not let me stay home. He said, ‘When are you going to get this chance again?'” Bullbrook said.

James Bullbrook died while his son was at the training camp.

The 22-year-old said he’s dealt with his own health challenges since then, including a debilitating concussion last year during training that he said forced him to confront his mental health. He’s become an advocate for the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation.

“I think there is an epidemic of men being afraid to say, ‘I’m not OK.'” he said. “I am a man who struggles and I want other men to feel like they can say that as well.

“I lost both my uncle and my father to alcoholism. These were preventable deaths. Silence is what makes them fatal, and we need to normalize vulnerability in men.”

Movember Canada has called on the federal government to launch a men’s health strategy. Last summer, it released a report with researchers from the University of British Columbia that showed men are about three times as likely as women to die by suicide.

The report also found that 75,000 Canadian men died prematurely in 2023, many from preventable causes. It estimated the economic cost of preventable deaths, illnesses and caregiving responsibilities at $12.4 billion a year.

“Too many men are dying too young, too many are struggling in silence and only reaching services when they’re already in crisis,” said Catherine Corriveau, the group’s director of policy and advocacy.

The U.K. and Australia have launched men’s health strategies in recent years, after research showed similar patterns in those countries. The U.K. strategy notes that improving men’s health is “not a zero-sum game” and called for better supports for men and children who are exposed to violence in the home.

Canada’s strategy includes partners from the departments of Women and Gender Equality, Veterans Affairs and Indigenous Services.

“When we strengthen men and boys’ physical, emotional and mental health, we’re supporting healthier, stronger, and safer communities for everyone, including women and children,” said Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez.

Michel said the government is looking to launch its strategy later in 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2026.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press