NDP asking for farmer mental health crisis hotline

The NDP is calling on the Alberta government to implement a 24/7 mental health crisis support hotline for farmers in our province. The NDP is also renewing their proposal for the UCP to provide five insured mental health sessions for Albertans. NDP Agriculture Critic, Heather Sweet, was in Lethbridge discussing how she has been talking with farmers about their own mental health and how the current heat wave has affected them.

This comes off the heels of the The Rural Municipalities Association passing a resolution in the spring of 2019 to call on the UCP to form an agriculture mental health crisis hotline.

We reached out to the Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Devin Dreeshen, for comment but have yet to hear back.