MP Leah Taylor Roy: Investing In The Future Of Canada
A groundbreaking $500 million federal Youth Mental Health Fund is set to help younger Canadians get the help they need when and where they need it most.
The list can go on forever of the challenges Canada has overcome and of those it continues to face: the combination of an unforgiving housing crisis, inflation, economic uncertainty, increased crime, noticeable effects of climate change, expensive tuition loans, not to mention the long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has created significant challenges for many people.
The Canadian way of life has been disrupted. Most of all, younger Canadians feel like the deck is stacked against them. At a time when mental health is discussed openly and considered to be vitally important, we are also seeing a growing rate of young Canadians between 12 and 25 years of age dropping out of school or being bullied at school, and young people who are feeling isolated, some who are unable to function in society and some who end up pursuing a life of crime.
“These are all things that can be prevented if these young people get the health care, the proper mental health care they need when they need it,” says Leah Taylor Roy, Member of Parliament for Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill, in a recent interview with City Life.
Taylor Roy was born grew up in the York Region, raised in a family that served in public office and are now leaders and members of many community charities and not-for-profits. Taylor Roy discovered early on that although some community challenges may not impact everyone, even those who are unaffected who can help, should.
We Need To Keep Up Investments In Canadians And Make Sure That People Understand That It’s People First And That’s Our Future.”
On July 18, Taylor Roy hosted a roundtable with youth and their families, service providers and other professionals from a variety of aid organizations including the Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region Children’s Aid Society, York Region Public Health, 360 Kids, Yellow Brick House, Blue Door and Hope House. The professionals and providers who attended shared their personal and professional experiences, hopes and strategies for effectively engaging youth of all backgrounds and lifestyles to ensure that the resources developed under the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF) — $500 million to be spent over the next five years — will reflect and respond to the needs of all Canadian youth.
“I was so encouraged to see that kind of turnout from passionate and dedicated people. When you see so many people come out to discuss it and to share their insight into how the funding should be used, it shows that there is a real need,” says Taylor Roy.
She argues that the YMHF will save much more money down the road, since ensuring that the Canadian government takes care of the mental health of its young people now has the potential to lower costs to the health care and criminal justice systems, lower rates of incarceration and increase the number of productive citizens doing meaningful work in the future, which will increase innovation and help Canada to thrive.
I attended the roundtable event, and I am relieved to say that our elected officials are committed to ensuring that all young people, including those from racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, newcomer and remote communities, as well as those transitioning from care, have access to the health care they need, including mental-health care.
“I believe in our future,” says Taylor Roy. “Our young people are an incredibly important part of that. So, we need to keep up investments in Canadians and make sure that people understand that it’s people first, and that’s our future.”
