This year’s event brings the total raised for research into the prevention and early detection of youth mental illness to $2.75 million over four years.
“Today there is such hope… we reach out and we get help in Canada. We are focusing on mental health,” said 2019 Miner’s Lamp Award recipient Margaret Trudeau. When she decided to share her own struggle with bipolar disorder in 2006, Canadians were only just beginning to talk openly about mental health. Her leadership helped transform the conversation about mental illness in Canada and paved the way for others to share their own stories.
Speaking to 450 business and cultural leaders, researchers and philanthropists from across Toronto at the Miner’s Lamp Award Dinner, Trudeau at once celebrated our progress and acknowledged there is still much work to do. “We can all suffer from mental illness and the collateral damage can be huge. We must take the brave step and say, ‘I need help.’ We must accept that we all need support and compassion.”
The dinner is a partnership between IAMGOLD Corporation and the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychiatry. All funds raised support research at U of T and affiliated hospitals. The event is also a lightning rod for conversation, providing a venue for leaders and advocates to share their experiences with mental illness. Funds raised in previous years are helping uncover new ways to detect and prevent severe mental illness early.
Thanks to EVP & CFO Carol Banducci’s vision and commitment to the cause, we were able to complete our fundraising goal ahead of time. Carol noted: “The Miner’s Lamp Award stands for courage, hope and active commitment. We took our inspiration from the original lamps that helped miners detect deadly gases and protect their communities from loss. Today, that lamp reminds us of the importance of shining a bright light on mental illness and the need for us to lead the way in improving our understanding and treatment of mental health.”
U of T Faculty of Medicine Dean Trevor Young, recognized Carol Banducci and Dr. Benoit Mulsant, Professor and Labatt Family Chair of U of T’s Department of Psychiatry, for their passion and hard work. “Through this tremendous partnership with IAMGOLD, we are developing a much better understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in mental illness. It’s a very exciting time in science, with new developments expanding the realm of what we thought possible.”
Special guest speaker Tera Armel is a volunteer leader with Step Above Stigma, a non-profit organization focused on improving access to mental health care. She spoke about her experience of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her final year of high school.
Having lived with obsessive-compulsive disorder from early childhood, Tera knew she could thrive with it. But bipolar disorder was different. It seemed unpredictable, shattering her self-confidence and her certainty. In order to regain her self-assurance, she needed help.
“I learned it is okay to lean on others when you can’t see a future beyond your current state of mind,” she said. With the support of her family and healthcare providers, she was able to continue her academic pursuits and discover new support networks, finding new ways to advocate for mental health and encourage open conversations. “Fighting stigma and having conversations with like-minded people has helped give meaning to my diagnosis.”
The evening was moderated by sports announcer Rod Black and included a performance from Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk spoke movingly about growing up with mental illness in her family, sharing how her experiences have inspired her music.
At a time when mental illness is discussed more openly than ever before in Canada, the Miner’s Lamp Award Dinner is a reminder that it took many courageous voices to bring us this far — and that we still have much work left to do.
For more information:
- Click here to see a short video about the Miner’s Lamp Award
- Click here to see photos from the dinner
Special thanks to the team of employee volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this year’s dinner a success:
- Daphne Hamilton
- Dorena Quinn
- Fariah Mir
- Jonathan Carson
- Julia Gavin-Williams
- Kathy Xu
- Kelly Silva
- Krunal Bilimoria
- Lola Prela
- Mark Anderson
- Marjon Nasim
- Shirley Dean
- Shriya Khanna