Toronto mayor calls for national summit to tackle mental health crisis – Toronto | PKBNEWS

Toronto Mayor John Tory is calling for a national summit to address what he calls Canada’s mental health crisis.

In a statement Wednesday morning, Tory said the summit would see mayors, ministers, premiers and the prime minister discuss how best to support people living with mental health and addiction issues.

Tory says that coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of federal and provincial spending on mental health is “painfully clear” in Canadian municipalities.

He says that without adequate funding, mental health care responsibilities are “downloaded” onto municipalities, public transit systems, shelters, police and hospital emergency departments.

Tory says he first made the proposal directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December.

He says the best evidence of the ongoing mental health crisis is substance abuse issues, noting the thousands of people who died last year from opioid overdoses.

“Three years ago we faced the COVID-19 pandemic and in that time all governments worked together to help people and each other through these difficult times,” Tory said in the press release.

“Now we face a mental health crisis that requires the same level of dedication, cooperation and commitment.”