Action Missing at Mental Health Summit

September 26, 2022

Whitehorse, September 23 – This week, the government hosted its second mental wellness summit. 

Over two and a half days, wellness experts including doctors, Indigenous groups, and frontline workers shared bold, progressive ideas. From creating Managed Alcohol Programs, to responding to mental health  emergencies, they laid out a roadmap to a healthier territory. What’s missing, is a government willing to take meaningful action.

“This summit was a phenomenal opportunity to learn and share ideas. But what good are these ideas if the government refuses to act on any of them? Yukoners want a government that will turn these ideas into real services on the ground.”

– Kate White, Leader of the Yukon NDP

Advocates, First Nations governments and the Yukon NDP have all called on the Liberals to take real action on mental health and substance use in the territory. Instead, the Liberals have continued to drag their feet. 

After two summits in one year, little has changed for Yukoners who need mental health support. There are still so many Yukoners who have nowhere to turn when they need help: thousands are still waiting for a family doctor, safe, stable housing is impossible to find, and communities in crisis are being left behind. Calls for more resources across the Yukon, from Mayo, Faro, and so many others remain unanswered.

With yet another summit wrapped up, Yukoners are still left wondering if the Liberals will listen to experts and the community to finally act on what has been talked about for years.

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