Feds, Nova Scotia announce $3.5m for community mental health  

Ottawa and the province are spending $3.5 million on mental health programs in Nova Scotia.  

Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Ya’ara Saks announced the funding in Truro Friday morning. 

Nearly five years after the April 2020 shootings in northern Nova Scotia, the federal government is pledging additional money to “support initiatives to address the mental health, grief and bereavement needs in affected communities,” said Saks. 

Saks announced $2 million in federal funding to support Maggie’s Place Family Resource Centre and the government of Nova Scotia. 

Maggie’s Place offers over 30 support programs for families in the northern Nova Scotia counties of Colchester and Cumberland. 

“Community-based organizations like Maggie’s Place are essential. They provide support for community members to improve their mental well-being, cope with trauma and thrive,” said Saks. 

Friday’s announcement comes two years after a joint agreement was reached by the federal and provincial governments to invest $18 million in mental health and grief support, as recommended by the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC). 

The MCC was conducted following the 2020 mass shooting in northern Nova Scotia, which killed 22 people.

The commission highlighted the need for “mainstreaming and increasing availability of mental health services” to develop supportive and preventative mental health infrastructure.

Nova Scotia Addictions and Mental Health Minister Brian Comer pledged an additional $1.5 million in provincial funds on Friday for the Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association. 

The provincial funds will “support the continued delivery of grief and emotional wellness services,” said Comer. 

Maggie’s Place executive director Sarah MacMaster said at Friday’s announcement that “this funding will allow family resource centres to continue their critical work in fostering healthier, more resilient communities.” 

The federal government will “continue to work with community organizations and the government of Nova Scotia to promote health and mental wellness,” said Saks. 

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, more than 6.7 million Canadians have been diagnosed with a mental illness.