Love Letter to Men

Author: Mike Cameron

Wow! It’s hard to write an article when you are at a loss for words. The inaugural Love Letter to Men (LLTM): A Celebration of Men’s Mental Health is complete. To say it was a massive success would be a complete understatement. Over the evening hours of February 7, 2022, to February 10, we were fortunate enough to share space with some fantastic speakers, panelists, moderators and guests. 

LLTM was a collaborative effort by many men and women representing different organizations supporting men’s mental health. This community-based event was sponsored by Living Hope: A Community Plan to Prevent Suicide in Edmonton. A vast array of community partners came together to champion this event. Our objective was to co-create a space for men to gather, listen and share stories and strategies around managing their mental health. We had representation from PhDs to poets, musicians, comedians, professionals in the field and those sharing their lived experiences. We sought to not only create the space but inspire others to create spaces in their environment where men can safely reflect upon their mental well-being. 

We made some significant noise around the subject leading up to the conference. As the conference host, I secured appearances on shows like Global morning news with Kevin O’Connel and 630 CHED’s Shaye Ganam show. I’m proud to see our region be an international leader in men’s mental health. Our event invitation video was shared on social media by Mike Ellis, the Minister of Mental Health for the province of Alberta. 

We hosted 18 different sessions, with over 40 presenters throughout the conference, and welcomed 512 attendees to our virtual playground. The virtual event was attended by participants in 159 municipalities, covering a dozen countries over five continents. In addition, the conference was broadcast to places like the Hibernia Platform on Newfoundland's Grand Banks, reaching men who are often not reached.

We asked attendees to share photos of themselves or influential men in their lives. We had over 50 photo submissions and created four video montages highlighting the diversity of the men who spoke and attended.  

The bottom line is that we helped move along the much-needed conversation around men and mental health. Creating spaces for men to observe and share their own stories is critical in our quest to support men in their mental health journey. Love Letter to Men is the beginning of a beautiful opportunity to carry on the conversation.