On March 8, 2023, leaders in the agricultural sector from across Canada will convene for the first
annual National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health. This free, virtual symposium will be
hosted by The Guardian Network and the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing and The
Guardian Network, an Agriculture Wellness Ontario program run by the Canadian Mental Health
Association (CMHA), Ontario, and funded by the governments of Canada and Ontario. Registration is
now open at NSAMH.ca
The National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health has been established to connect mental
health groups, researchers, government officials and policymakers, members of Canada’s agricultural
community including agricultural associations and producer groups, individual advocates, and most
importantly farmers to address the challenges and opportunities of the farmer mental health
movement across the country.
The event includes a special keynote by Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian,
epidemiologist, and Director of Well-Being Programming for the Ontario Veterinary College at the
University of Guelph. The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) is a national, not-forprofit
organization for research, program development, policy, and engagement around mental health
in Canadian farming. The CCAW works with established and developing grassroots, community-based
organizations across the country, to provide critical, evidenced-based programming, to the
agricultural community.
The Guardian Network is a volunteer suicide prevention program which supports Ontario’s farming
community and is a social enterprise of CMHA Ontario. As part of the Agriculture Wellness Ontario
suite of programs, it aims to bring mental health education, counselling services and enhanced
community support to rural and agricultural communities across the province.
Visit NSAMH.ca to view the full list of presenting organizations and speakers and register.
This project is paid for in part by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Canadian
Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.